What to Do When You Don’t Get Along With Your Supervisor: 3 Tips to Improve Your Work Relationship

Let’s be honest, we don’t always love our bosses. But it’s time to turn that relationship around! This video shows you 3 ways to improve your work relationship when you don’t get a long with your supervisor.

Today I want to give you three things you can do when you don’t get along with your supervisor. You need to make things the best they can be because you want to keep working, I would think.

1. Don’t Get Sidetracked by Your Feelings

If you don’t get along, you have to do your best not to get preoccupied with that anger or whatever you feel has gone wrong. You don’t want to feel like you’ve done anything, but at the same time you have to try to get it out of your head that they’ve done something. so what do you do? You keep working very hard. You don’t get side tracked.

If you get sidetracked, you get so upset over whatever it is that has happened or you think has happened, can you imagine what you’re displaying? We think one way and we think we’re doing one thing, but when we’re upset, we’re usually doing something completely different.

Focus on whatever you need to be doing in the situation to help your patients and do the best job that you can do in that moment. If you need to, take time after to calm down, think about what happened that upset you, and decide how you want to approach that person and fix situation later.

2. Write Out How You Feel & Document Everything

Another thing you want to do is document. You can document everything. It’s great. Why? How can documenting help you with your relationship with your supervisor? It gives you a way to express.

Literally write everything down. You never know. One day you may need this stuff. You may have to sit in a meeting and say what happened, what you did, and what that other person did. It’ll be good to have your own fresh, in the moment observations documented so nothing gets lost or left out.

But you also want to express yourself. You want to let it out and this is how you can do that. It could help you not act out in the moment. It could help you express yourself differently because you’re letting it out.

We know that’s therapeutic. So write it all down and keep a journal if you will. That’s the second way, I feel, you can help your relationship going forward with your supervisor that you don’t get along with generally.

3. Consider How You Can Take the High Road

The third thing I would say is consider looking at yourself. When you look at that person, we know what they’re doing that we don’t like, but is there a chance that we’re not being flexible? Is there a little room that we can bend a little bit?

I’m saying that because a lot of times people are doing the best that they can do. They’re not going to do the best you can do, or that you think they should do. They’re going to do the best that they can do.

If you look at that supervisor as someone who is doing the best that he or she can do, then maybe you’ll ease up a little bit. This job is great generally, and you’re great at it more importantly. You’re taking care of people on one level or another.

Even if you’re supervising, you’re still responsible for taking care of the patients and employees. I say this because we need to look at ourselves often and there’s always something we can do. So please consider trying the three things I’ve stated:

• Don’t focus on your issues with your supervisor in the moment and just keep working very hard and well.
• Write down everything and express yourself so that you can let it out on paper. Somewhere between you and that paper. Have a pen and paper chat.
• Look at yourself and look for the opportunity to just be better in the situation. Be the bigger person, then make it better for everybody.

Those three things will help you tremendously with a supervisor you don’t get along with. Who knows? Maybe soon you’ll say, “we do get along. It’s alright. It’s a work relationship, but it’s working and it’s working well.”

I don’t want you stressed out. I don’t want you all messed up to the point where you can’t function because you’re so upset. You have to find a way to move forward.

And if you need a little extra motivation and a reminder of all the amazing things that you are absolutely capable of, download my free Mobile Mood Booster. It’s in the sidebar and at the bottom of this page. You’ll get 21 days of motivation and affirmations designed specifically for healthcare professionals to access right on their phones straight to your inbox.