How To Stop Being Afraid Of Your Boss

A negative, critical or harsh boss can ruin your day as well as your chances of a successful career by recalibrating your mind — negatively. It's hard to be focused and proud of your accomplishments if your boss is constantly putting you down and reminding you of how incompetent you are. Bosses are meant to supportive and respectful. You should not be scurrying down the corridor when you see them approaching or trying to control the undeniable upsurge in your heart beat as they approach your desk.

Here are some steps you can take to help you control your fear and bring you closer to actually seeing your boss as a human being:

1. Identify the underlying reasons for your fear – In some cases, the fear of your boss may be because you are doing something wrong. For example, diverting the company's precious time to browsing Facebook pages may cause your heart to miss a beat if your boss passes behind you while you are at it. It could also be that you are carrying old fears (as a result of past experiences) and are unable to let go of your fear (kicked puppy syndrome). If an old boss was really mean, it can be hard to let go of that memory and embrace the positives of your new environment. Understanding the real reason why you are afraid of your boss can help you work on ditching your fear and building a successful career.

2. Stop feeling inadequate – Feelings of inadequacy can cause you to think (and even visualize) your boss firing you every time you enter his office. Don't nurture these feelings of fear – They can easily turn you into a negative wreck. Take pride in your achievements and in the fact that you have a job (and that the company deemed it fit to employ you). Don't be afraid to reach beyond your comfort zone. The more you achieve, the more confident you will become at work and the less fearful you will be.

3. Remember that your boss is human too – This means he probably has other people he answers to and he once was in your position. Try to strike up conversations with him whenever appropriate. The more you know about him, the more you will know how to handle him and the less fearful you will be. Try to be supportive of company projects. If there's a looming deadline your boss is trying to meet, show support by asking what you can do to make things easier. Unless your boss reminds you of Adolf Hitler, you really should be able to build a relationship with him.

4. Talk to someone about it – If the fear becomes overwhelming, make sure you talk to someone about what's going on. It could be a close friend, family member or a counsellor. Having someone to talk things over with can help you see your boss or yourself in a different light.

5. Ask Yourself, “What's the worst that can happen?” - While being fired can cause serious financial hardship for you and your family (not to talk of the psychological effects), it's probably a sign that you should move on to better and greater things. So, keep your head up.

Attribution

"Look Of Shock From An Attractive Young Man" picture by stock images picture/Freedigitalphotos.net