How to Handle Negative Boss
There's little worse than putting in a long day's work and getting nothing in return. Some bosses are great at making people feel this way. No matter how hard employees work and how well they do, there's always something that should have been done better. Working under a nit-picking, negative boss adds stress and misery to your workday. For your health and for the productivity of your team, it's best to intervene in a tactful and timely way.
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Instructions
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Take nothing personally. If your boss truly has a negative attitude, that's no reflection on you, your performance, your competence or your potential. It simply means your boss is failing to address the team's achievements and problems in a constructive way.
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Accept that your boss is a person, and therefore is inclined to make human mistakes. Your boss's attitude may come from job stress or a personal matter. He may be frustrated, anxious or depressed, and all three of those emotions can lead to a pessimistic attitude. Or, according to workplace expert Susan Morem, your boss simply may prefer feeling unhappy.
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Approach your boss. Tell her directly and without emotion that she seems displeased about everything the team is doing, and that the stress is affecting the team's productivity. Then ask if there's anything you can do to help. Although the boss may have been unreasonable or even cruel, your decision to take the high ground can result in a quicker resolution.
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Gauge the boss's response. If the boss comes back with more negativity, simply talking out the problem probably won't work.
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Keep a journal of the boss's counterproductive behavior. Fill it with details such as time, date, place and description. Save emails that demonstrate the boss's negative attitude.
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Bring the matter to human resources, a union representative or another person in a position of authority. Base your complaint not on how the behavior is making you feel, but on how it is affecting the team's productivity.
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