Manager

How to Deal with 10 Types of Difficult Bosses

By Woman s Day | Secrets to Your Success – Wed, Jan 23, 2013 11:00 AM EST

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Get advice for handling micromanagers, workaholics and more.By Samantha Toscano 

How sad is this: The average employee will spend 19 hours a week (including six weekend hours) worrying about what her boss says and does, according to a survey commissioned by Lynn Taylor, author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant. Luckily, there are ways to cope with even the most mischievous of managers, as well as the ones with zero leadership skills. Take these expert-approved tips to the office to forge a healthy boss-employee relationship that could leave you loving your job. Photo by Getty Images. 

1. The Micromanager 

Such a hands-on boss tends to "squander her own time on re-do work or too much involvement in her reports' work," explains leadership expert Linda Henman. These perfectionist qualities may make you feel untrusted and creatively impeded, but Ask April founder and relationship exert April Masini suggests taking the extra attention as a compliment and feeling grateful for that kind of safety net. To cope, Taylor recommends over-communicating and offering up regular status reports, so she doesn't approach you as frequently to stay in the loop. 

2. The Hands-Off Supervisor

Employees under this "manager" work freely, but the lack of guidance comes at a price. "The hands-off boss allows you to do your best work, but hang yourself when things go wrong," says Taylor. With this laissez-faire approach to supervising, Henman says you need to solicit feedback whenever possible. So set up regular meetings to discuss the most critical projects that matter to your mutual goals. That should engage her. 

3. The Workaholic

Work-life balance isn't a thing this boss gets. "You'll feel like you're not living up to standards unless you live at the office," Masini...