Did you know that the #1 cause for unhappiness and dissatisfied employees is a bad boss – you may ask, is this hardly news? Don’t we all already resonate with any headline that says bosses are devil’s advocates or how people are not projects. We have become so inured to the stereotype of a boss as the heartless shrew so much so that this has become synonymous with being a leader. Do not lead bad leadership to sour yours. Easy said. So, how do you cope with “horrible bosses”? How do you get through “office politics”? How do you not let negativity around workplace bog you down? Here is a quick survival guide.
1. Define professional boundaries
A step-up isn’t always a step in the right direction if you do not speak up for yourself and define your limits. Of course, you spend more time at your workplace in your life than anywhere else, but if you’re constantly complaining of being over-worked, it is important to say no. If your personal space is not defined initially, you only end up beating yourself up to reach the higher bar of your own expectations.
2. Stay amidst people who defuse negative vibes
It becomes overwhelmingly joyful to complain about your boss with the peer group but it is important to keep yourself around those who do not perpetuate your perceptions but are rather glass is half full kind of people. De-mystify your thoughts and not believe the grape-vine. Counter negativity with appreciation and gratitude. The fog may not go away all at once, but over time. It is worth the try!
3. Do not over-do things
It may be great to build your identity, but there is a thin line between establishing your identity and over-doing it. Over-burdened with extra work is more of an outcome of our own inability to establish your limits confidently than that of boss being a bad leader. Again, it gets overwhelmingly joyful to keep your plate overflowing but remember, the saturation point only makes you hate yourself and the job more.
4. Don’t fog cognition with emotions
Office politics can get dirty and mentally affect your quality of work. As they say, study the arena, before you play the sport! You hate or love, but most definitely cannot avoid the coveted office politics!
Distance yourself and analyse – do not respond. Do not fog your cognitive ability with emotional outbursts.
5. Talent is over-rated, mental strength is critical
We were all taught to believe in Karma and the world being a moral play-ground. We were taught to believe that if we worked hard to play our strengths, we will achieve the promotion. Yes, very moral and comforting. Well, the story is much more than that. Nothing is more important than being mentally strong, whether it is education or work or health. Talent is secondary. Tenacity at your workplace, wearing confidence as the mantra and being at peace with your mind , is the way to ace the office-game!
Easier said, than done? Agreed, but isn’t knowing what to do a step in the right direction?
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