Working with an opinionated boss

At your workplace does anybody get preferential treatment at the hands of his boss? Is a work supposedly well-done by him, if at all it is so, blown out of proportion and lapses, if any are simply and regularly passed over? Does any employee feel that since he is in the good books of the boss (for whatever reason), he can get away with anything. Are there instances when a boss pulls up one person in public view but chooses not to do so with somebody else as a matter of routine?

If the above happens to be a frequent phenomenon at your workplace, you need to do something about it. You need to address the issue on priority because sooner or later, the working environment is bound to be undermined. Favouritism, nepotism and preferential treatment, if allowed to persist will lead to a disheartened and deflated workforce; and eventually decreased productivity. And the earlier you start to deal with the malaise, the better it will be.

How do you deal with an opinionated boss or setup? Here is what you should be doing:

· Status evaluation: An opinionated boss by virtue of the prejudice and bias indulged in by him causes immense harm to the congeniality of the workplace. Sincere and conscientious employees are bound to get disillusioned when such happenings take place. You ought to be keeping a tag of various instances wherein preferential treatment has been extended to any individual and the precise reasons that prompted it. It is likely that on different occasions, somebody else would have been accorded similar treatment; if that be so, then it may not be a serious matter. You should be clear in your mind about the prompting factors and specific instances which, in your perception, could be construed as partiality, bias or discrimination  

· Discussion with co-workers: Remember that your observations and inferences are your own and that they be prompted by individual penchants and perceptions. You may feel very strongly about an issue but in respect of others, it could just be a normal happening that raises no eyebrows. Therefore, before you rake up an issue, it is essential that you talk it out with your colleagues so that you are able to discern the appropriateness and rightness of your awareness or awareness. You should seek details of other instances that could possibly be in their knowledge and perhaps missed out by you. It is essential that you go about objectively and ensure that do nothing that smacks of preconceptions towards a colleague or the boss alike. What you ought to do is request for specifics and actualities; and then arm yourself with them as preparation for portraying the state of affairs unambiguously and without pronouncing any verdict.

· Tête-à-tête with the boss: Now that you have drawn conclusions and are convinced that indeed something improper or indecorous has been happening, what stops you from walking into your boss’ cabin for a confab? When you are face to face with him, you should adopt a candid, but respectful approach. It is essential that you put across whatever your observations have been and how you have sensed the state of affairs. You must quote specific illustrations in support of your observations. No generic comments should be given; on the contrary you should be precise and unambiguous while narrating instances wherein an employee was afforded special treatment. If possible, you should take another trusted co-worker along to back you. Additional information provided by him will lend credence to your views and also indicate to your boss that the situation is indeed serious. Any perception that the issue has become a subject of discussion will further prompt your boss for corrective action.       

· Striving for a transformation: While you are engaged in a dialogue with your boss, your objective should be to bring about upbeat breaks and exchanges. It is only then that the emerging circumstances will be positive. You should invariably regard your boss as knowledgeable and capable enough to be able to discharge certain responsibilities better. This is necessary because you never know that he may ask you things that you want changed. You should endeavour to make the entire gamut of conversation a positive process; this can be attained if you dwell upon actions that are future oriented rather than being repentant of whatever has happened.

· Keeping the management in the loop: Acts of favouritism, if allowed to continue can be highly detrimental and it is not necessary that your boss will readily agree to make changes. Under such situations, it is recommended that the matter be raised with the concerned authorities. The HR Department should be approached and apprised. In doing so, you must ensure that real facts are made available to them together with a gist of whatever transpired between you and your boss. This will facilitate better comprehension of the issues and initiation of appropriation corrective action.

It is necessary that neutrality and impartiality of a workplace is maintained at optimum levels. Favouritism and bias in any form should be discouraged; and should it be found that it is continuing, efforts should be directed to put an end to it. And even after pointing it out to your boss if things do not improve, there is nothing wrong in reporting the matter to the management.