Final answer:
Understanding and aligning with a supervisor's responsibilities, pressures, and wider objectives is key in handling difficult interactions. Documenting their preferences and adapting your work to support their goals can foster a collaborative relationship. Recognizing when a positive relationship is not possible is also important for your mental health and career growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Interacting with a Difficult Supervisor or Coworker
Interacting with a difficult supervisor or coworker can be challenging, but understanding their responsibilities, stresses, and pressures can help in fostering a successful working relationship. A supervisor typically has a range of responsibilities such as managing team performance, meeting upper management expectations, and achieving business objectives. Recognizing who they report to and the pressures they might face can help you empathize with their situation and adjust your approach accordingly.
Your work contributes to your supervisor's success and it is important to understand and align with the wider objectives or concerns they may have in their role. By understanding your manager's personality and approach, and taking into account their strengths and weaknesses, you can collaborate more effectively.
To enhance the relationship with your manager, consider creating a confidential running list of observations to understand what frustrates or motivates them. Prioritize projects that might help them meet their goals and be resourceful in your work to offer exceptional customer service to your internal customers, in this case, your supervisor.
It's important to have a positive and mutually productive relationship with your manager for greater job satisfaction and growth opportunities. However, acknowledging when a situation is detrimental to your mental health and potentially leaving the job is also significant. Being professional, understanding generational challenges, and reflecting on previous job experiences can help you adapt and grow in your career.