Are you nodding your head?  Hey! It’s good that you ended up here. At least you are aware of your fears unlike most people. Now, this ‘bossophobia‘ is more common than you think.

Your subordinate who shows off his confidence in the cafeteria turns into a shrieking mouse when your boss gives him a call and probably, you do too.

We all do. It is nerve-wrecking at times.

The most common ways you deal with the same would include bashing your boss behind his/ her back, taking it out on your work or giving a resignation only to get into a firm where you will start the fear loophole again. This shows that it is not your boss, but it is you who needs to up their game. Let’s talk about some measures you can take to help you get going.

  • The biggest fear- ‘Getting Fired’blg 30.06Artboard 1Let me tell you, this will happen anyway if you keep neglecting your fear. Your boss does not want a fearful employee, does he?

The person who is above you in your company hierarchy was someday in the past in your shoes. He/ she knows how to deal with that fear and expects you to, if not the same, deal with it in an even better way.

A huge factor in this arena is not seeing things as they are and building negative future images.

“What will happen if I don’t complete this on time” or “What will happen if my boss does not approve my leave”

Even if you don’t complete the work on time (This is not valid if you were slacking off), you can apologize and ask for some more time which you surely might get. “I am sorry that the deadline was missed but I assure you that it will be completed by today. ”

Now, was that so hard? Your boss is also human, he/she will understand that you gave your best. And as far as the holiday is concerned, you will get it after your work is done!

  • Don’t take that rebuke personally.blg 30.06Artboard 3The motto is ‘Nothing said or done in an office is to be taken to your heart’.

    Just handle the scolding and get going towards improvement. There are two ways you can react. One, feel attacked and go home feeling sorry for yourself. Second (the one you should do), get to work, build something great and convert the anger to encouragement. It will take time & your effort, a whole lot of it. But in the process, you will lose that fear you have been carrying all this time.

You know, you cannot control how your boss reacts. But you can always control how you respond!

  • Keep those fists relaxed!blg 30.06Artboard 4The way you walk, the way you set foot in your manager’s room, sit in the chair with your arms or legs crossed or look in a certain way, it all shows what you’re feeling inside. 

Chances are your fear will be on display too when you will fiddle with that pen on the table unconsciously. The bitter truth is, everybody wants to look and feel confident, but nobody is ready to work for it. 

Fear also arises out of unfinished tasks. If you are not well prepared, you will shiver! Every time you keep your notes ready, your fear will shorten to another inch.

To overcome your fear, you might start bad mouthing too. It is human nature. Bashing your boss behind his/her back at the water cooler with some colleague would seem pleasing at the moment but will definitely lead to the fear creeping in that your boss might get to know about it someday.

Just to give a reminder, your boss deserves your respect. So, you better give the same to him/her. They didn’t reach to that position just by peeling onions. I agree that you may be highly proficient in your work but if you lack in emotional quotient, you are getting nowhere.

  • Get the words out on your own.blg 30.06Artboard 5You are so happy! No work was assigned to you today! Probably because your manager was busy in some other work.

But this happiness won’t last for long as he/she will come back and ask about what you did all day. The fear bells will again start ringing.

The precaution you can take is get up and ask yourself about what you are supposed to be doing today. Assign tasks to your own self. Ask your boss the best way you can help to achieve that ongoing deal. Most probably you are using some work management software in your office. Put it to good use and give daily reports to avoid any missing out on work. Proactive communication will help you in always keeping the door open. Now, your boss won’t send in for you. You will go and give him/ her an update.

Do you feel the fear already slipping away? I do too.

  • Find your own personal waysblg 30.06Artboard 6It is personal, but what I do when I am facing certain fears is write them down. I just take a pen & a paper (a diary probably; lots of fears) and write whatever comes to my mind. Maybe bash somebody on the sheet of paper. Who knows?  Let my negativity out!

You could try this one or find some new way on your own. The advantage I see in writing is you will never bash anybody and then be fearful about it if that person comes to know.

Also, you will never land up in your boss’s office bottled up with negativity. You will have a fresh perspective and maybe a solution even. Your boss wants a solution to every problem and that is why he/she hired you in the first place. Let’s not disappoint and perform as required.

Hope you let your fear out the next time you are called by your boss!