| Olivia Heerenveen
3 reasons you are working for the wrong boss
Sometimes without even knowing it, you are wasting your energy at work. Trying to impress your boss. But it's always good to take a step back and consider if you are working for the right boss. Are they teaching and helping you, encouraging you to move forward in your career? Either way make sure to understand when it's time to move on.
#1 Trust your gut
Is your gut telling you you are doing the wrong thing? And with that I don’t mean illegal stuff, but the simpler office-rule stuff. Like charming you to work late every single day, because you are ‘so good’ at your job, and ‘we wouldn’t know what to do without you’. Try to look at these conversations very objectively are you really being appreciated, or is it easier for your boss to keep you working late nights with no compensation?
#2 Interested versus interesting
Does your boss always have great stories, and do you keep asking about them? This might be a case of a boss who needs confirmation of their great fantastic self. By getting you hooked on these stories/ mentor-ships/ life lessons, you keep coming back for more, that way your boss will keep feeling needed, which confirms their idea that they are a great person. Test your waters and see what happens if once in a while you turn to someone else in the organization. Does your boss show insecurity by calling you out, or by starting to ignore you? Then you know it’s time to move on from that boss.
#3 Who should your boss be
Your boss should not be a 2 year old, nor a mother or father figure, but more a wise acquaintance or friend that will help you discover your strengths and weaknesses and leverage your career from there. This person should not press on your weaknesses to make you insecure or to create a loop in which you keep trying to keep them happy. Always choose for yourself. What can I learn from this boss, how can this person help me in the rest of my life. And again you are free to make your own choices. If the boss doesn’t fit, find another one.
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