How to Get Over Your Fear of Your Boss

How to Get Over Your Fear of Your BossHow to Get Over Your Fear of Your BossFor each of the eager beavers out tzu siche who seize upon any opportunity to remind the higher-ups of their existence, there are handfuls of fearful employees doing whatever they can to avoid unwanted attention or judgement from management. If you fall in this category, youve probably mastered the art of always appearing busy as a mechanism to avoid conversation, memorized your boss schedule so you can avoid run-ins, and learned the straight-and-narrow approach to completing tasks in a way that doesnt raise eyebrows or warrant the most dreaded experience of all being called into the boss office. Why are so many of us fearful of our employers? Is the herunterkommen workplace really dominated by Machiavellian tyrants? Probably not. Data shows that any given boss personality might be irrelevant to these anxieties. In fact, as many as one in four people fear being yelled at by their superior, regardless of his o r her past behavior. But unfortunately, the fear is real. Its uncomfortable, and it often hinders the creative risk-taking that can help both you and your employer get ahead. So, what can you do to overcome your fears and reach your full potential? Here are a few ideas.Realize Its Not All About YouA client once told me that, for years, she would agonize every time she rambled in a meeting or misspoke on a conference call. After meeting her husband, the CEO of a telecommunications firm, she realized that the problem was universal. He would come home from work worrying about a comment he made to an investor or whether hed misjudged a big decision. His fears were never about his employees minor screw-ups- they were about his bosses. Think about it You arent losing sleep over the mistakes the intern made today, are you? Its the same way with your boss. He or she is often more focused on big projects than on your missteps. See Things as They Truly AreYou cant change that which you dont a cknowledge. For this reason, its crucial that you check in and pay attention to your fear-based thoughts. Be honest with yourself Is the fear that you feel toward your boss based on some other work or life experience deep in your past? Is it really about this particular person?In many cases, this fear has little to do with your boss. For example, a client recently told me that her biggest workplace fear is getting fired. This fear influenced many of her interactions in the workplace, particularly by deterring her from speaking up when there was an issue that demanded a conversation with her supervisor. There was an occasion where I was being bullied by a colleague, she explained to me, and as much as I knew it should be addressed, I ultimately decided to keep it to myself due to my extreme fear of being fired. After speaking further, the true source of her fear became obvious Her father was laid off during the recession, and her parents divorced shortly thereafter. I watched tears f all down as she spoke of a time when her father lost his job, and the stress was seemingly a catalyst for her parents eventual divorce. Who wouldnt carry this fear on after that? And thats exactly why its so important that we get to the root of it. One creative way to do this is through writing. Make a list of your fears and what they might be telling you. Give them a voice. Youll likely learn a lot- and maybe even find that they arent so scary after all. Humanize Your BossFor most of us, there will be times when the boss is unpleasant or treats us with less respect than we feel we deserve. In some of those cases, her reaction will be warranted, but more often than not, her behavior will be the side effect of something else in her life. mora than anything, its important to realize that almost nothing in the workplace is truly personal. Ask yourself if your boss treatment toward you is a pattern youve seen in his or her behavior elsewhere. By examining where you see it also showing u p, youll realize that its not really about you. I also recommend reading The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, which has some great practical exercises to help you not take things personally. If youve done that, and you really do feel like your boss might have it out for you, address it so that your boss has an opportunity to check in with you. For example Ive gotten the impression that theres perhaps something that I can do to be a stronger employee. Can we set up a meeting to discuss how I could better serve you? This is a huge (and scary) step, but it holds fruitful results.Be IrreplaceablePerhaps the best way to overcome your fear of your boss is to build a closer relationship with him or her- to get to the point where you know that youre irreplaceable. This doesnt have to come through conversation in fact, its better to do so through action. And this doesnt necessarily mean staying in the office late or working weekends. Great employees pay attention to their boss priorities and pain points, and they constantly offer to take on side projects- projects that the boss may not have initially thought about- to improve a process or ease the workload. How? In order to come up with projects that truly make his or her heart sing, you must anticipate circumstances or projects that may present challenges in the near future. What are your boss goals, priorities, and- most importantly- problems? Your ability to identify mitigate issues before they arise is key to becoming an irreplaceable employee. The more you know that youre needed (and wanted), the more that the fear will subside. Create a Professional IdentityWe are conditioned from a young age to seek acceptance from our peers. I call this the social self, our natural default setting that is driven by the desire to be liked. On the other side of this desire is the fear of not being liked. For this reason, its critical that we create a professional persona as we evolve in our careers. The ability to draw a disti nction between who you are in your social life- your social self- and who you are in your professional life enables you to departmentalize your fears.Take some time to envision who you want to be in your professional life and commit to honoring that vision. This might feel inauthentic because it requires you to reprogram those long-standing default settings, but there is nothing more powerful and authentic than creation. Once you have determined who you want to be professionally, assess other aspects of your work life that may also have to change. For example, if your professional self is committed to no longer being late for your standing morning meeting, its crucial that you start setting your alarm clock. Whether your fear is in response to criticism or in anticipation of it, being scared of your boss is incredibly detrimental to your performance in the workplace. The only way to get past this fear is to get clear on the root of it awareness is a powerful mechanism that sparks ch ange. Your fear serves as an invitation for personal growth. Learning to identify will help you move past your insecurities so that you can focus fully on what matters to your employer and to your own professional evolution. Photo of man being stepped on courtesy of Shutterstock.

Company Tested 4-Day Work Week, Results Were Overwhelmingly Positive

Company Tested 4-Day Work Week, Results Were Overwhelmingly PositiveCompany Tested 4-Day Work Week, Results Were Overwhelmingly Positive New Zealands Perpetual Guardian is not some kind of a crazy startup. On the contrary.Theyre one of New Zealands biggest trust businesses. Whats more, their heritage dates all the way back to the end of the 19th century. As far as being conservative goes, theyre basically the definition of it.Which is why nobody expected them to come up with something crazy. Especially not something crazy AND cool like a 4 day work week.But as it turns out, they knew exactly what they were doing.During a six-week trial period, reported stress levels lowered from 45% to 38% and work life balance improved from 54% to 78%.All of that while maintaining their pre-trial productivity levels.Disconnecting productivity from hours in the workplace.I wanted to disconnect productivity from hours in the office, writes Andrews Barnes, the CEO of Perpetual Guardian, in his LinkedIn post.I wanted them to only come to work four days of the week but I would still pay them for five. With no extra hours worked on their four days. he adds.It all started over the Christmas. Barnes had read a couple of research reports which suggested that productivity in the workforce can be as low as one and a half hours a day.Although these numbers are nothing new, theyre in no way less shocking because of it.But if Barnes experiment is anything to go by, 4 day work week could be the answer.Five days of work squeezed into a 4 day work week.Barnes invited academics into the office to observe the trial to ensure that reduced hours wouldnt overburden staff. Naturally, he also wanted to make sure it wouldnt lead to reduced output.But even to his own surprise, there was no drop in productivity. In other words, employee productivity rose by 20% for the number of hours worked.Even better, the researchers saw an increase in staff satisfaction and engagement. It also led to a desire to kee p working with the company longer.The stress levels went down from 45% to 38%, while work life balance increased from 54% to 78%.Now its up to the companys board to review all the feedback and decide about continuing the four day week as a permanent offer to their staff. So stay tunedOh, and if youd like to learn a bit more about business benefits of flexible working arrangements, heres a really good article by NZ Herald about it.Share Your Feedback or Ideas in the Comments

5 Cliche Statements That Can Bomb Your Job Search

5 Cliche Statements That Can Bomb Your Job Search5 Cliche Statements That Can Bomb Your Job SearchPicture this cartoon thats circulating on the Internet A woman sits across the desk from a job hunter and says, I eliminated all the platitudes and cliche statements from your mission statement, and Im left with this blank sheet of paper.Like with mission statements, when writing cover letters andrsums or interviewing for a new position, its too easy to eagerly conform to what you think others want to hear. This may be due to thefact that you are intimidated by the process itself and have yet to gain the confidence needed to claim your skilled, job-hunting voice. One of the most overused claims found onrsums is excellent communications skills, and this can be detrimental when you demonstrate just the opposite. Here are five common communication fails that limit job search success1. Dear Sir. So many people begin cover letters with this outdated and pascha salutation it boggles the min d You might eliminate the sexist part with, Dear Sir or Madam, but that will still sound far too stilted. Instead, take the time to research who is the hiring manager or human resources staffer in charge of this job requisition. Address your letter directly to him or her by name Dear Ms. So-and-So. If you strike out and cant find a specific name, begin with Dear Hiring Manager, Dear Recruiter or Dear Hiring Team.2. Im ideally suited (or perfect) for this job.Whether in a cover letter or conversation, this statement can be seen as a boast, an assertion or a conclusion. No matter how you see it, its a judgment you cant and shouldnt make.You dont know how you stack up against other candidates or the hiring authoritys precise priorities. Plus, more likely than not, this statement will make you look brash or arrogant. Instead, its your role to provide all the facts that demonstrate your value based on your experience, skills, knowledge, certifications and education. In short, you need to make your case in such a way that leads the employer to conclude that you are ideally suited for this job.3. Hard working, results-oriented, team player with excellent communication skills. Its hard to count the number of times hiring managers have encountered constellations of buzzwords assembled into jargon-richyet meaninglessself-descriptions at the tops ofrsums. Remember You are trying from the outset to distinguish yourself from others. Who is going to begin with the opposite? (Im a lazy, lone-wolf worker, interested in punching a clock rather than actually producing anything.) No one, of course4. When it comes to salary, Im negotiable. When you respond to the what are your salary requirements question this way, you can easily be perceived as noncooperative. This is not generally a sought-after quality Moreover, while you might intend this statement to mean Im flexible, it can be heard as just the opposite. You might give someone a false impression that youll play salary h ardball at the end of the process. On the other hand, you dont want to box yourself into a lower salary than you might otherwise receive or eliminate yourself from consideration because you have stated marginally higher expectations than some other candidate.Show a spirit of cooperation by talking about your past or current salary. Calmly explain that while this can provide a measure of guidance, you dont yet know precisely what would be appropriate for the job in question. 5. References available upon request. Everyone knows that references are part of the hiring process and that at an appropriate time, youll supply them. Have you ever heard of anyone saying the opposite on arsum?(I wont supply references to share with you.) Of course not By eliminating this statement at the bottom of yourrsum,you gain a line or two. Use the extra space to add a bit more detail about some relevant accomplishment. Or even an extra line of white space is better than this over-used clich.Happy hunti ngArnie Fertig, MPA, is passionate about helping hisJobhuntercoachclients advance their careers by transforming frantic Ill apply to anything searches into focused hunts for great fit opportunities. He brings to each client the extensive knowledge he gained when working in HR staffing and managing his boutique recruiting firm.