Set boundaries, over-communicate: Three hacks to deal with a difficult boss remotely

One would expect that difficult bosses would be easier to manage from the safety of your couch, but that’s not the case. Since we no longer have the luxury of in-person interactions and most of our communication happens via email or texts, a lot can get lost in translation, leading to misinterpretation and communication barriers. Being isolated from other coworkers can also limit your ability to commiserate and get consensus on your boss’s behaviour.

Here are some tips to handle a difficult boss:

Limit misunderstandings
Use emails or phone calls for your primary work communication and try to limit the use of texts. Shorter, faster communication doesn’t always give you time to organize your thoughts or convey the right tone, often leading to misunderstandings. Emails can also be easier to refer to, if needed.


Also, keep an eye out for simple things that could make communication easier. For example, if things are urgent, request that it’s put in the subject line of an email. This keeps everyone on the same page.

Be clear about your boundaries (and timings)
With all of us working from home, some difficult bosses may expect employees to be tethered to the office — or may be concerned that they’re slacking off when working from home. But this is not always conducive, especially with so many of us juggling work and home priorities. Inform your boss of your daily work timings, mention what you’ll be able to accomplish within those times and specify what responsiveness looks like for you in your new environment. In the office, your boss could expect an answer within a couple of hours but with family responsibilities, that may not be true of your situation right now.

If you can’t take up a specific task or action a certain step, do let them know. If you’re reasonable and offer specific workarounds, such as you’re cooking dinner and you would be happy to make changes to the PPT in the morning, your boss should be quick to come around and cooperate.

Over-communicate
One way to put a micromanaging boss’s mind at ease is to loop them in proactively and frequently. Take the initiative by suggesting Zoom calls to discuss or documenting your activities and progress, to the point where the boss doesn’t feel the need to check on you.