Dealing with an Angry Boss

The "angry" and/or "mean" boss problem is, unfortunately, a virtual cliché. Solutions for the problem are seemingly rather simple.  They are usually the following:  (1) Quit, or (2) Remain quiet. 

Yet it does not have to be this way. Faced with the typical supervisor who exerts little or no control over his emotions, most employees bear the agony in unspoken fashion. Perhaps it is their family which becomes an outlet for their grief and frustration. Perhaps a friend. Perhaps no one. Yet to live day-to-day with the agony of an angry boss is not to live well.

Dealing constructively with the angry boss situation lies with forming a strategic plan, then implementing the plan properly. Each situation differs. Considerations include the relative sophistication of the workplace, an assessment of viable solution options, understanding the various communication options present in the workplace, together with considering carefully any applicable company policies which are then in place. As well, legal considerations may play a role.

Generally speaking, an angry boss acts this way for a couple of basic reasons. First, he/she is likely prone to anger due to non-workplace factors such as upbringing, personal stress, longstanding habits, etc. Second, the individual may have ingrained this managerial approach in such a way that they literally don´t hear themselves speak. That is to say, they may not actually realize how they sound. Finally, there are those bosses who simply pride themselves on a negative style. In this way, they are likely emulating prior bosses they have had who managed in this manner.

Whatever the basis for the angry boss´s behavior, communication about the anger issue is paramount to dealing successfully with the problem. The trick is to structure the communication in such a way as to maximize the likelihood that the communication pays a dividend.  Normally, the best approach is to formulate a correspondence item to the manager in question, identifying your concerns about your course of treatment.  An alternative is to provide such communication to the abusive Manager's own supervision.  The correspondence should identify one or more instances where the anger behavior was of concern.  Ultimately, one wants to call attention to the anger issue without being unduly threatening.   

If this communication is ignored, and/or the behavior continues, it is time to 'move up the ladder' with the complaint.  Take the complaint to the next higher individual in the chain of command, and append the original complaint communication to this new correspondence.