31 May,2011 08:51 AM IST | | Sukanaya Ghosh
Most bosses belong to the 'fragile- handle with care' category. If you are one of those whose life has been complicated by this particular variety, do not fret. We bring you ways in which you can dodge their egos and stay peaceful. Study your boss.
Stay calm: Instead of arguing and taking matters further try and solve
it without getting in fight
Try and gauge her insecurities. What is it that ruffles her feathers? What is it that calms her down? Make observations and move on from there. People are different and no single rule can be a surefire winner. Here are a few options, and you can make your own combination medicines out of the these:
Avoid interrupting
Bosses hate that. In any case, making the person feel truly heard is at the core of successful communication. Let your boss complete her say -- however incoherent and stupid s/he may sound, you must be the patient receiver and assist them in venting out. It works to your advantage, more than anybody else's. You can voice your disagreements after they are done.
Give credits
Do not take away your boss's credit from her.u00a0 In other words, they always want credit for all the good work. It is utterly annoying when someone takes all the praise for the hard work you put in. You may have been the key player in achieving the target. But if your boss wants to hog the spotlight, be generous and at least push in a few kind words acknowledging their role in it. That way, you'll avoid getting into a silly conversation about who played a bigger role.
Resort to praise
Empower your boss by praising him/her. Make specific observations and build up praises for the person, since it is indeed the best way to make them feel accepted. When you praise timely, with comments about the details that inspired you to speak up, it softens the person's ego, as the person doesn't feel intimidated by you.
Wait for a while
Guard against instant reaction when you find yourself jammed in a confrontation with your boss.u00a0 Let the person say what they feel. Remember that it is absolutely okay to disagree and it is possible to do it while retaining your calm. Hold onto your inner peace and know that digesting difficult comments in a matured way will save the situation rather than worsening it ahead.
Be playful
Be playful in your manner of talking. Research has shown that conversational playfulness makes people laugh, smile and bond more easily than witty statements and smart humour. So give up trying too hard. Be natural. Huge egos need to lighten up more than others; give them the helping hand!
Watch your words
For one, get into the habit of beginning your sentences with 'I', instead of 'You' or 'they'. The latter seeks of accusation and blame. Replace the 'they never ufffd' with 'I am / I feel ufffd' Talk about what's going on with you as a result of what happened. Share your own way of looking at the
situation. Try to make it as non-confrontational as
possible.
