Select meeting times when your boss’s mood seems to be better or during low stress periods at work. You might also consider making a note of every time your boss is in a bad mood. Write down the time and the circumstances surrounding their mood.
You might also do a random act of kindness for them like bringing them some coffee.
Listen carefully when your boss gives you a task or a piece of constructive criticism and work to follow through. Don’t use your cell phone during this time. However, regardless of what you have done, your boss should not yell, curse, or insult you. If your boss’ behavior appears is abusive, you need to seek help from a trusted human resources professional. If you feel like your boss is criticizing you for something that is not your fault, discuss your concerns with them. Create an atmosphere of problem resolution rather than confrontation.
During a time of calmness, approach them and see if they have a few minutes to talk. If they are typically very busy, then set up a meeting beforehand. Say something like “I really enjoy working here but sometimes, especially in the mornings, you yell at me and other team members. That makes it hard for me to want to work hard for you because I am frustrated. Is there anything going on with you right now or anything that I can do better or differently? Try to manage your own emotional reaction to keep from inflaming the problem.
After meetings with your boss, consider sending them an email about what you were asked to do, to clarify. You can say something like “As a clarification, in our meeting you said that you want me to create a one page document highlighting all of our services and to share it with the team before publishing it. I wanted to confirm that this is correct before moving forward. ”
Or, if you feel constrained to sit there, be calm and confident and when the tirade ends, simply say “Thank you for your observations. I will consider them all in detail and provide you with a written response. " Use evidence and logic when your moody boss veers off into blanket allegations or rants. Avoid accusations, allegations, and ultimatums yourself. These upset any person, moody or not, and even if your boss is using these tactics, don’t copy.
With your coworkers, avoid making jokes about your boss, however.
If your boss ever hits you, is sexually inappropriate, or verbally abusive, report them immediately. Do not wait it out. An example of verbal abuse would be if your boss calls you stupid or uses racial slurs.
