As an employee, you deal with a lot of things in your daily work life. In addition to doing the work that’s assigned to you well, you also have to ensure that you get along smoothly with your boss and colleagues. For most people, this isn’t really a problem, especially when you are under a great boss who knows what they’re doing and effectively guides you in the right direction.
But what if this isn’t the case? What if your boss, manager, or the person in the lead doesn’t really know the work like they say they do, and you actually know more about the work compared to them? What do you? How do you handle this situation?
1. Try not to overshadow your boss
Though you know that you’re much more capable of doing the job than your boss, it’s still important not to overshadow him. He may soon resent you if you keep getting all the credit, so try to be humble about it. Don’t try to push it in his face that you’re better and smarter – he may become resentful of you and start making your life miserable. Remember that you’re still working under him, so you should treat him with some respect.
2. Share some of the credit
You can actually share some of the credit with your direct manager so that both of you look good with the upper management. This will help foster a better relationship between the two of you, since he’ll definitely appreciate that you make him look good. Since he appreciates what you do for him, you’ll have him on your side, and he may even help you get promoted in the long run.
3. Support your boss
No matter what, the fact is, your boss is still the boss, and as such he still ultimately makes the final decisions regarding your work and what you do, so try not to go against him and do your best to support him. Don’t talk about him behind his back – yes, even if he may not know much about the work and doesn’t really offer any help and guidance, he may still be a good manager who has some excellent organization skills.
4. Acknowledge his authority
Even if you know more than he does, you should still acknowledge your boss’ authority and make sure that you show him that you respect his position and experience. If you want to propose something new or you want something to change, make sure that you approach your boss with humility and respect, not with arrogance.
5. Be patient
It can be difficult knowing that you’re working under someone whom you feel is not as knowledgeable and capable as you, but try to be patient. You can always propose a new idea that you think can improve how the business is done, but make sure that you offer it at a good time and place.
6. Focus on your performance
Sometimes though, your boss or the person you’re directly under already resents you because they know you’re better at the job than they are, so all you can really do is just focus on your performance and not let their resentments affect your job. At the end of the day, it’s all about getting the work done and making sure you do it well. Try your best not to let their opinions bother you.
7. Consider getting a new job
When all else fails, and you feel like you don’t respect your boss anymore and he doesn’t seem to be listening to any ideas or suggestions you propose, then it may be for the best for you to consider resigning and just moving on to a better job. Your worklife will be stressful if you have continuous conflict with the person who directly manages you, so the best thing for you may be to simply cut your losses.
Though most people are lucky enough to be under the management of someone who knows what they’re doing, there are certain times when people have bosses who really don’t have a clue. So it’s really up to you to decide whether to go with the flow or to just decide to break free, especially when resentments start to come between the two of you. You never know – you may even start your own company using your ideas and come out on top.
But if you’re happy with your job and really want to keep it, you really have to do your best to get along with your boss or manager. As long as you’re patient, focus on your work, and do your best to support your boss and share the credit with him, you’ll probably do fine.