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How to Handle a Tough Boss or Coworker

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Going to work every day to face an unpleasant or unjustifiably harsh boss or coworker can make even a job you love distressing. There's often no clear or simple way out of a situation like this, but with some helpful tips you'll be able to face the problem with confidence and move steadily toward a solution. Learn how to handle a tough boss or coworker and begin to like your job again.

Dealing with a Difficult Boss

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The first step towards a solution is to examine your boss's perspective. Put yourself in their position and see if you can feel the reasons they behave the way they do. It's extremely difficult to do this if you feel like the victim of unfair treatment, but it might help you find the best path toward fixing the problem.

If your boss stresses you out daily about each small task, confronting them about the habit probably won't stop their micromanaging. The best defense against this behavior might simply be to accomplish the tasks you know they'll expect you to do before they ask. Consistent self-management is a good way to demonstrate that you don't need constant supervision from others.

Every solution begins with communication. This doesn't mean directly addressing the problem every time you talk to your boss. Instead, it means nurturing the relationship between worker and manager and hoping that this naturally calms the tension and more closely aligns the goals and expectations of both parties.

If there's simply no way forward and your life at work and at home is suffering because of the stress, it might be necessary to try to transfer to a different team, department, branch or—if the situation is irreparable—company.

Handling a Difficult Coworker

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Workplace relationships between coworkers are even more important than those with bosses. Unfortunately, not every situation is ideal. You might have trouble focusing on your work when you're surrounded by talkative, distracting partners. Or, you might feel like you can't break through with a coworker to form a real friendship.

Dealing with negative effects on your work is difficult and delicate. Like handling a tough boss, addressing problems with a coworker starts with consideration and communication. Standing in their shoes, can you see a reason for their actions? Is there anything you can do to help them that would stem the cause of the problems? Is the situation mild enough that meeting about it and discussing your feelings with the other person would help?

If a coworker's negativity is bringing you down, it's probably best to spend time in another circle of employees or another area of the building. If an employee is overly competitive and uses rudeness or insults to hamper your work, it's important to keep the focus of meetings and presentations on the success of the company and away from personal success. Their selfishness will stand out unattractively next to your teamwork.

A serious problem at work is a colleague who bullies. This is an issue that requires courage and patience to address. Always stand up for yourself but don't fall for bait or lose your temper: calmness and firmness on your part will win this confrontation. However, there are many, many battles in the long war against bullies and constantly spending energy on it will take away from your work. At this point, it's best to take the problem calmly to a superior. HR departments and administrators are trained to deal with this type of problem, so don't be afraid to ask for their help. After all, your happiness at work will only benefit the team and the whole company.

Working in a healthy environment sometimes means having difficult conversations about difficult relationships with bosses and coworkers. These moments are important because you worked hard to earn the position you have and you don't deserve to have it ruined by rude or inconsiderate people. Plus, mending these relationships could make the job even better in the future. Have confidence, use your patience, and act firmly to make your workplace a comfortable, productive space that you'll enjoy going to every day.

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GeistM Ranks High On Inc. 5000's Fastest Growing Company List

GeistM has ranked #433 on Inc.5000 elite list of America's fastest growing private companies. The annual index, which has previously honored current leaders in their fields like Microsoft, Dell & LinkedIn, gives you a glimpse at the fastest growing independent small businesses taking the US economy by storm.

GeistM, the #1 Performance MarTech Platform powering digital marketing for a portfolio of top class brands and innovative startups, has reported 3 year revenue growth of 1,157%.

Kevin Fortuna, Founder and CEO of GeistM remarked: "Our momentum is building, and we expect our explosive growth to continue. GeistM's performance-driven, partner-friendly business model -- together with our best-in-class technology, our close relationships with network partners and the top-notch work from our talented staff -- are creating a 'virtuous cycle' for our business" .

GeistM is a part of a prominent group of companies featured on the list, who are not only competitive, but have collectively achieved an astounding three-year average growth of 538.2 percent. The Inc. 5000's mass revenue was $206.1 billion, and is responsible for creating 664,095 jobs.

"Our data-driven model enables us to identify and scale winning combinations of content elements, offer dynamics, networks and targeting strategies. At GeistM, we don't think of ourselves as an ad agency or a "vendor" – we're an extension of the marketing teams of our partners. We look for category-leading companies with complex or unique value propositions and the capacity and commitment to scale spend in proven channels of customer acquisition. Our best-of-breed MarTech platform, BlackFire, and our obsessive focus on performance-driven results for our clients, have been the driving factors of our success."

GeistM has exhibited staggering growth in recent years, and it can be attributed to its winning combination of talented staff and innovative approach to marketing technology. The measure of GeistM's worth is clearly evident by not only its skyrocketing success, but by the glowing customer testimonies they receive. "The team at Geist has knowledge and insight unlike any other platform and partner I've worked with. Their passion for product marketing, ability to optimize and propose new ideas makes them the ideal partners to work with."

If their astronomical growth so far is anything to go by, GeistM shows no signs of slowing down and will continue to rise above the rest.

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Tips to Get Over Your Fear of Public Speaking

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Some people are born to engage a crowd – they're confident, cool, and collected, even while speaking publicly.

They can get right up there, deliver their spiel, and never seem to break a sweat. No fear, no frets, and no fumbles. If this doesn't sound a thing like you, you're likely lumped in with the rest of the folks who dread public speaking. It's nothing to be ashamed of, but it's also not your destiny. You can get over your fears and turn anxiety into accomplishment.

Face your fears josephcostello.ie

Prepare

If fear of public speaking already weighs on you, "winging it" will only make matters worse. No matter the topic, you must study up on the facts and figures, background, studies, etc. The more you research and learn, the better you'll be able to present the information. You need to know what you're talking about and that it's factual and informative.

As per Mayo Clinic, "The better you understand what you're talking about — and the more you care about the topic — the less likely you'll make a mistake or get off track. And if you do get lost, you'll be able to recover quickly. Take some time to consider what questions the audience may ask and have your responses ready."

Rehearse

Just like a stage actor rehearses his lines before opening night, you should practice your presentation before your "performance." Harvard Business Review suggests, "Enlist your friends to help you rehearse your speech. They can help review your material, ask you tough follow-up questions, or act like an indifferent audience."

The Balance adds, "Rehearse several times before the big talk. Time your presentation and always have back up material in case time is left over."

Practice may not make perfect, but you'll be closer to it.

Envision Success

When you're a ball of nerves, it can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But with a sunny outlook, you can effectively will your way into doing a job you're proud of. Mayo Clinic explains, "Positive thoughts can help decrease some of your negativity about your social performance and relieve some anxiety."

Huffington Post notes, "By being able to paint a concrete picture of what success looks like to you, it becomes less abstract and more obtainable to you." So, think about yourself standing up there, well-prepared, well-received, and realizing it wasn't so bad after all.

Breathe

Fear and worry can cause anything from sweaty pits to something closer to a panic attack. You need to concentrate on your breathing to calm yourself down and gain clarity and focus. The Balance recommends, "using deep belly breathing to reduce stress and build confidence."

CNBC expands, "Deep breathing before and during your presentation or pitch calms your nerves and adds power and strength to your voice. Deep breathing also keeps your voice centered and prevents dangerous uptalk, which undermines your credibility and confidence. (Allison Shapira, founder, and CEO of Global Public Speaking)."

Be Yourself

Authenticity and ease of yourself will go a long way. You want to connect with your audience, and how better to do that than by being you? Too much memorization and rigidity will cause you to come off as more of a robot than the real thing. Be conversational and friendly. Nobody is waiting/hoping for you to mess up, they just want to be engaged and enlightened.

CNBC advises, "Telling personal, true stories are the best way to impart information and inspire others. (Gary Schmidt, Past International President of Toastmasters International, a nonprofit organization that helps members improve their public speaking skills)."

You can do this!workingmother.com

Forget the fear and find your place front and center.

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