This works well with transparency. Send your boss regular email messages asking for direction and clarification. Because this will become routine, your boss should eventually feel comfortable giving you some guidance. You can develop a routine of following up, for example, and send an email after each conversation that says, “Dear Ms. _____, Per our conversation today at 3:30 pm, I will go ahead and get the Johnson file in order and sent to the Records department. Would you like me to send a copy to Mr. Bates in Processing as well?”
Transparency is excellent here too because your boss will have little to micromanage if they’re left in the loop of your workday. You can send your boss a message at the beginning of each shift that says something like, “Dear Mr. Foster, As we discussed yesterday, I will be alphabetizing the 2015-6 files, unless something has come up that you’d like me to work on beforehand. ”
Take a brisk walk on your lunch break. Close your door or take a bathroom break for five minutes and do some deep breathing. Chat with a supportive coworker during lunch.
Try not to be too obvious, as that may have the exact opposite effect that you want. Instead, establish a routine between you and your boss, such as checking in every other day via email to let them know your progress and your agenda for the next day. You can send an email that says, “Dear Ms. Brown, I followed up with the rental vehicle account and they’ve assured me that they’ll have the estimates to you by the close of business today. Also, I spoke with Marge in payables, and she asked if we could call a department-wide meeting. ”
Sharing opportunities also gives your boss more reason to trust you and should make you feel like less of a threat. Let your boss know, “Hey! The CEO sent me a message to follow up on my presentation yesterday and asked that I create a longer presentation for the upcoming regional meeting. I told him that I’d talk with you and that we’d work on it right away. ”
This is different than giving your boss credit for work that you’ve done. Linking your success simply means that you publicly and privately acknowledge that your boss had some part in facilitating your achievements. “Thank you, Sir. Because you hired me, you gave me an opportunity to establish myself in the field. Now that I’m accepting another opportunity, I want to let you know that my growth wouldn’t have been possible without your guidance, tutelage, and leadership. ”
Try saying something like, “Hey Mrs. Smith, do you have a minute? I want to make sure that I am doing this the right way, so I was hoping you could give me some advice. ”
Boosting your boss’s ego should help them overcome some of their workplace insecurity. “Ms. Cantor, you have such a talent for seeing the larger picture and envisioning potential pitfalls. I’m really learning so much from you. ”
If coworkers approach you with gossip or persistent complaints about the workplace, your best course of action is to consistently redirect them to another topic of conversation. If they persist, tell them that you’re not comfortable with that topic. You can say, “Jane, I really like your company and respect you as a coworker. I’d like it if we don’t discuss office politics, though, and focus instead on this exciting new project that we have. ”
Try meeting a friend for coffee over the weekend or on your day off. Call up a parent, sibling, or other caring relative and ask if you can talk with them about something that has been happening at work.
Avoid using alcohol, drugs, or other unhealthy substances to cope with how you are feeling. Try doing something special for yourself now and then as well, such as getting a massage or buying yourself a new book.
