如何應付各種類型的渣老闆？我有妙招！

Bad bosses contaminate the workplace. Some do so obliviously, while others smugly manipulate their employees, using them as instruments of their own success. Regardless of their methods, bad bosses cause irrevocable damage to their companies and employees by hindering performance and creating unnecessary stress. Multiple studies have found that working for a bad boss increases the chance of having a heart attack by as much as 50%.

渣老闆污染了我們的工作環境。有些人明目張膽地利用僱員，其他的自以爲是地操縱員工，將他們視爲幫助自己獲得成功的工具。不管方式如何，壞老闆們都因爲阻礙員工的表現和製造不必要的壓力而給公司和職員造成了不可挽回的傷害。多項研究發現，爲一名壞老闆工作會增加心臟病發作高達50％的機率。

Even more troubling is the number of bad bosses out there. Gallup research found that 60% of government workers are miserable because of bad bosses. In another study 69% of US workers compared bosses with too much power to toddlers with too much power. The comparisons don’t stop there. Significant percentages of US workers describe their bosses as follows:
Self-oriented (60%)
Stubborn (49%) 
Overly demanding (43%)
Impulsive (41%)
Interruptive (39%)

更令人不安的是壞老闆存在的數量。蓋洛普民意測驗中心的研究發現，60％的政府工作人員因爲上司不好而苦不堪言。在另一項研究中，69％的美國工人將擁有太多權力的老闆比作掌權過多的幼童。
比較並不止於此。大比例的美國員工將他們的老闆描述如下：
以自我爲中心（60％）
頑固不化（49％）
要求過高（43％）
衝動（41％）
干擾性強（39％）

 

Most bosses aren’t surprised by these statistics. A DDI study found that 64% of managers admit that they need to work on their management skills. When asked where they should focus their efforts, managers overwhelmingly say, “Bringing in the numbers”; yet, they are most often fired for poor people skills.

大多數老闆對這些統計數據並不驚訝。美國智睿諮詢有限公司研究發現，64％的經理人承認他們需要改善他們的管理技能。當被問及他們應該把重點放在哪裏時，壓倒性的回答是：“引進人才”，但是，他們被解僱的原因通常爲差勁的人際技能。

 

TalentSmart has conducted research with more than a million people, and we’ve found that 90% of top performers are skilled at managing their emotions in times of stress in order to remain calm and in control. One of their greatest gifts is the ability to neutralize toxic people—even those they report to. This is no easy task. It requires a great deal of emotional intelligence, a skill that top performers rely on.

TalentSmart對一百多萬人進行研究，發現90％表現最好的人在面對壓力時善於調節自己的情緒，能夠保持鎮定，控制自如。他們最大的天賦之一就是能夠化解這些“有毒”的人——甚至是那些自己需要報告的對象（老闆）。這不是一件容易的事，它需要大量的情感智力，但卻是一項一個好的職場人能夠依賴的技能。

 

While the best option when you have a bad boss is to seek other employment, this isn’t always possible. Successful people know how to make the most of a bad situation. A bad boss doesn’t deter them because they understand that success is simply the product of how well you can play the hand you’ve been dealt. When that “hand” is a bad boss, successful people identify the type of bad boss they are working for and then use this information to neutralize their boss’ behavior. What follows are seven of the most common types of bad bosses and the strategies that successful people employ to work effectively with them.

當你有一個壞老闆時，最佳的選擇是尋找其他的工作，但這並不總是可能的。成功的人知道如何充分利用惡劣的情況。一個壞的老闆並不會阻礙他們得發展，因爲他們明白，成功與否依仗於你如何利用好手頭的資源。當這個資源是一個“渣”老闆時，那些成功的職場人會先確定他們爲之效力的老闆屬於哪種類型，然後利用這些信息來化解老闆的行爲。以下是七大最常見的“渣”老闆類型，以及職場成功人士有效應對他們的策略。

 

1. The Inappropriate Buddy

1.不適當的兄弟

This is the boss who’s too friendly, and not in the fun, team-building sort of way. He is constantly inviting you to hang out outside of work and engages in unnecessary office gossip. He uses his influence to make friends at the expense of his work. He chooses favorites and creates divisions among employees, who become frustrated by the imbalance in attention and respect. He can’t make tough decisions involving employees or even fire those who need to be fired (unless he doesn’t like them). His office quickly becomes The Office.

這種類型的老闆太過友好，但其友好卻不是在樂趣和團隊建設方面。工作之餘，他不斷邀請你到處閒逛，參與不必要的辦公室八卦。他犧牲自己的工作，用自己的影響力來交朋友。他會選擇自己最喜歡的員工來往，並在員工之間搞小團體，讓這些被忽視的員工因爲缺乏尊重和關注帶來的失衡而感到沮喪。一旦決定中涉及僱員，他就很難做出決斷，甚至不敢開除一些需要被開除的員工（除非他不喜歡他們）。他的辦公室迅速成爲像美國喜劇《辦公室》一樣的地方。

 

How to neutralize an inappropriate buddy: The most important thing to do with this type of boss is to learn to set firm boundaries. Don’t allow his position to intimidate you. By consciously and proactively establishing a boundary, you can take control of the situation. For example, you can remain friendly with your boss throughout the day but still not be afraid to say no to drinks after work. The difficult part here is maintaining consistency with your boundaries, even if your boss is persistent. By distancing yourself from his behaviors that you deem inappropriate, you will still be able to succeed and even have a healthy relationship with your boss.

如何與這樣一個不恰當的“兄弟”相處：與這種老闆相處，最重要的是要學會設定嚴格的界限。不要被他的地位嚇到了。通過自覺積極地建立邊界，你可以更好地控制局面。比如，白天你可以與老闆保持友好，但在下班後也不用害怕拒絕他喝酒的邀請。最困難的莫過於要堅持你定下的原則，即使你的老闆堅持不懈地說服你。將自己與你認爲老闆不合適的行爲分離開來，你仍然可以成功，甚至可以與老闆保持健康的關係。

 

It’s important you don’t put up unnecessary boundaries that stop you from being seen as friendly . Instead of trying to change the crowd-pleaser and force him to be something he’s not, having him see you as an ally will put you in a stronger position than you could have anticipated.

另一個重要的事是，不要設立一些不必要的界限，這會讓你看起來不友善。讓老闆視你爲盟友，而不是試圖改變想要取悅員工的老闆，迫使他變成其他樣子，這樣或許會讓你到達一個比你預期的更佔優勢的位置。

 

2. The Micromanager

2.什麼都管的老闆

This is the boss who makes you feel as if you are under constant surveillance. She thought your handwriting could use improvement, so she waited until you left work at 7:00 p.m. to throw away your pencils and replace them with the .9 lead mechanical pencils that have the “proper grip.” She has even handed back your 20-page report because you used a binder clip instead of a staple. The micromanager pays too much attention to small details, and her constant hovering makes employees feel discouraged, frustrated, and even uncomfortable.

這種老闆會讓你感覺你處於一種不斷被監視的環境中。如果她認爲你的書寫需要改善，她會等到你下午7點下班後，扔掉你的鉛筆，並換成她認爲有更合適的另一款鉛筆。她甚至會退還回一份20頁的報告，只因爲你使用的是長尾夾而沒有用訂書機訂上。這種什麼都要插一手的老闆高度關注細節，而且她的胡攪蠻纏經常會讓員工受挫，感到沮喪甚至不舒服。

 

How to neutralize a micromanager: Successful people appeal to micromanagers by proving themselves to be flexible, competent, and disciplined while staying in constant communication. A micromanager is naturally drawn to the employee who produces work the way she envisions. The challenge with the micromanager is grasping the “envisioned way.” To do this, try asking specific questions about your project, check in frequently, and look for trends in the micromanager’s feedback.

如何和什麼都要管的老闆相處：成功的職員們會向這些老闆證明自己是靈活的，有能力的和有紀律的，同時與他們不斷進行溝通。一個事事操心的老闆自然樂於接受一個能達到他們預期工作效果的員工。與這種類型的老闆共事的挑戰是要揣摩出老闆想要的結果。要做到這一點，可以嘗試詢問一些有關項目的具體問題，經常報告反饋，並在老闆的答覆中找到老闆期望的方向。

 

3. The Tyrant

3.暴君型老闆

The tyrant resorts to Machiavellian tactics and constantly makes decisions that feed his ego. His primary concern is maintaining power, and he will coerce and intimidate others to do so. The tyrant thinks of his employees as a criminal gang aboard his ship. He classifies people in his mind and treats them accordingly: High achievers who challenge his thinking are treated as mutinous. Those who support their achievements with gestures of loyalty find themselves in the position of first mate. Those who perform poorly are stuck cleaning the latrines and swabbing the decks.

暴君型老闆總是不擇手段，做出的決定也大多爲了維護自己的自尊心。他最關心的是如何保持自己的權威，他會“脅迫”和“恐嚇”別人也這樣做。這種類型的老闆認爲他的僱員就像是上了他的船的犯罪團伙。他在心裏將員工們分門別類，並相應地區別對待：將那些挑戰自己的有能力的人視爲反叛者。而那些以忠誠的姿態來支持自己的成就的人，則會被推上像大副一樣的位置。那些表現不佳的人則有可能終身都被限於清洗廁所和擦拭甲板。

 

How to neutralize a tyrant: A painful but effective strategy with the tyrant is to present your ideas in a way that allows him to take partial credit. The tyrant can then maintain his ego without having to shut down your idea. Always be quick to give him some credit, even though he is unlikely to reciprocate, because this will inevitably put you on his good side. Also, to survive a tyrant, you must choose your battles wisely. If you practice self-awareness and manage your emotions, you can rationally choose which battles are worth fighting and which ones you should just let go. This way, you won’t find yourself on latrine duty.

如何和暴君型的老闆相處：針對暴君型老闆，一個費心但有效的策略是以一種讓他獲得部分功勞的方式來呈現你的想法。這樣老闆就可以既保持他的自尊心，又不至於打擊你的想法。儘管有時他不太可能做出迴應，但你要準備好給他們些甜頭，因爲這樣做總會讓你處於優勢的一方。另外，爲了要在這種老闆身邊生存下來，你必須明智地選擇什麼時候可以展開攻勢。如果你能夠鍛鍊自我意識和更好地管理情緒，那麼你就可以理性地選擇哪些戰鬥值得參與，而什麼時候你又該選擇放棄。這樣，你總不會淪落到洗廁所的地步了。

 

4. The Incompetent

4.沒能力的老闆

This boss was promoted hastily or hired haphazardly and holds a position that is beyond her capabilities. Most likely, she is not completely incompetent, but she has people who report to her that have been at the company a lot longer and have information and skills that she lacks.

這類型的老闆應該是被匆匆晉升或是偶然被放在一個超出自己能力的職位上。很可能她並不是完全沒有能力，只是給她做報告的人往往已經在公司工作了很長時間或是擁有她所缺乏的信息和技能。

 

How to neutralize an incompetent: If you find yourself frustrated with this type of boss, it is likely because you have experience that she lacks. It is important to swallow your pride and share your experience and knowledge, without rubbing it in her face. Share the information that this boss needs to grow into her role, and you’ll become her ally and confidant.

如何和缺乏能力的老闆相處：如果你發現自己對這種類型的老闆感到不滿，很有可能是因爲你擁有她缺乏的經驗。嚥下你的驕傲，和她分享你的經驗和知識，而不是駁她的面子，這可非常重要。與老闆分享她在職場成長中需要的信息和經驗，你將很可能成爲她的盟友和知心朋友。

 

5. The Robot

5.機器人式的老闆

 

In the mind of the robot, you are employee number 72 with a production yield of 84 percent and experience level 91. This boss makes decisions based on the numbers, and when he’s forced to reach a conclusion without the proper data, he self-destructs. He makes little or no effort to connect with his employees, and instead, looks solely to the numbers to decide who is invaluable and who needs to go.

在機器人老闆的眼中，你是72號員工，生產率爲84％，經驗值爲91.這位老闆根據數字做出決定，當他被迫在沒有適當數據的情況下得出結論時，他只能“自取滅亡”。他很少或幾乎不花工夫與他的員工聯繫，而是僅僅依靠數字來決定誰是無價的，而誰又應該被攆走。

 

How to neutralize a robot: To succeed with a robot, you need to speak his language. When you have an idea, make certain you have the data to back it up. The same goes with your performance—you need to know what he values and be able to show it to him if you want to prove your worth. Once you’ve accomplished this, you can begin trying to nudge him out of his antisocial comfort zone. The trick is to find ways to connect with him directly, without being pushy or rude.

如何與機器人式的老闆相處：要在與機器人老闆的相處中獲得成功，你需要用他的語言和他進行交流。當你有想法時，確保有數據來提供支持。你的表現也應如此，如果你想證明自己的價值，你需要知道他看重什麼，並能夠向他展示出這些東西。一旦你完成了這件事，你就可以開始嘗試慢慢將他從他的反社會舒適區裏擠出來。訣竅在於要找到與他直接聯繫的方法，而不是以強求或粗魯的方式。

 

Schedule face-to-face meetings and respond to some of his e-mails by knocking on his door. Forcing him to connect with you as a person, however so slightly, will make you more than a list of numbers and put a face to your name. Just because he’s all about the numbers, it doesn’t mean you can’t make yourself the exception. Do so in small doses, however, because he’s unlikely to respond well to the overbearing social type.

安排面對面的會議，或者到他的辦公室去回覆一些他在電子郵件中提到的問題。迫使他將你作爲一個活生生的人進行溝通，儘管只是這些小小的舉動，也會讓你不再是一串數字，而是讓他將你的名字與你的臉聯繫起來。儘管他關心的只有數字，但這並不意味着你不能讓自己成爲例外。當然得一點一點地來，因爲他很可能對這種霸道的社交模式束手無策。

 

6. The Visionary

6.愛幻想的老闆

Her strength lies in her ideas and innovations. However, this entrepreneurial approach becomes dangerous when a plan or solution needs to be implemented, and she can’t bring herself to focus on the task at hand. When the time comes to execute her vision, she’s already off onto the next idea, and you’re left to figure things out on your own.

她的實力就在於她的創意和創新。然而，當需要實施計劃或解決方案時，這種企業家的方式就變得十分危險，她無法將自己專注於手頭的任務上。當時間已經到了需要執行她構想的圖景時，她又已經跳躍到下一個想法了，而你只能自己去弄清楚一切。

 

How to neutralize a visionary: To best deal with this type, reverse her train of thought. She naturally takes a broad perspective, so be quick to funnel things down into something smaller and more practical. To do so, ask a lot of specific questions that force her to rationally approach the issue and to consider potential obstacles to executing her broad ideas. Don’t refute her ideas directly, or she will feel criticized; instead, focus her attention on what it will take to realistically implement her plan. Oftentimes, your questions will diffuse her plan, and when they don’t, they’ll get her to understand—and commit to—the effort it’s going to take on her part to help make it happen.

如何和一個愛幻想的老闆相處：處理這種類型最好的方式是扭轉她的思路。她總是習慣宏觀地看待問題，所以快速將大問題細化成更小的，更實在的小問題。你可以問很多具體的問題，迫使她理性地處理這個事情，並考慮在執行她的偉大構想時存在的潛在障礙。不要直接反駁她的想法，否則她會覺得自己受到了指摘；相反，將她的注意力轉移到在實際執行她的計劃中需要付出什麼樣的努力。通常，你的問題會幫助她的計劃更具發散性，如果沒有的話，也會讓她明白實現這一目標需要她共同的努力，同時這也催促着她做出相應的承諾。

 

7. The Seagull

7.像海鷗似的老闆

We’ve all been there—sitting in the shadow of a seagull manager who decided it was time to roll up his sleeves, swoop in, and squawk up a storm. Instead of taking the time to get the facts straight and work alongside the team to realize a viable solution, the seagull deposits steaming piles of formulaic advice and then abruptly takes off, leaving everyone else behind to clean up the mess. Seagulls interact with their employees only when there’s a fire to put out. Even then, they move in and out so hastily—and put so little thought into their approach—that they make bad situations worse by frustrating and alienating those who need them the most.

我們或許都經歷過這樣的事——在一個海鷗經理的陰影下幹事，而他突然決定是時候捲起袖子，猛擊一陣風暴。海鷗式的領導不會花時間去了解事實，也不會與團隊一起合作想出一個可行的解決方案，他們只會堆積老套的建議，然後決定要突然起飛，留下其他人來收拾爛攤子。海鷗老闆只有在十萬火急的情況下才與員工溝通。即便如此，他們匆忙地進進出出，對自己的做法又總是沒什麼頭緒，還讓那些最需要他們的人感到沮喪和被疏遠，以至於讓本就糟糕的情況變得更糟了。

 

How to neutralize a seagull: A group approach works best with seagulls. If you can get the entire team to sit down with him and explain that his abrupt approach to solving problems makes it extremely difficult for everyone to perform at their best, this message is likely to be heard. If the entire group bands together and provides constructive, non-threatening feedback, the seagull will more often than not find a better way to work with his team. Have the group give him a little nudge, and things are bound to change for the better.

如何和海鷗似的老闆相處：抱團應對的方式對這種老闆最有效。如果你能讓整個團隊坐下來和他進行溝通，並解釋他解決問題冒失的方式很難讓每個人傾盡才能，這樣的方式下他才能容易接受這個建議。如果整個團體能聚集在一起，提供建設性的，而不具威脅性的反饋意見，海鷗型老闆往往會找到更好的方式與他的團隊合作相處。讓團隊給他施加一點點壓力，事情一定會往好的方向發生改變。

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