Dealing with a difficult boss can be frustrating, especially when employees feel like they have to constantly defend their decisions. TikTok user @christabletilt, who goes by Chris, shared five ways workers can subtly push back against difficult managers without doing anything that could get them in trouble. The video has received 314,900 views and 494 comments.
Chris explains that one way to deal with a difficult manager is to significantly reduce how much you communicate with them.
“Cut the communication down by 80%. Stop giving long explanations for what you do. Keep it down to one sentence. And single responses, too. ‘Yeah, no problem.’ ‘I’ll take care of that.’ ‘Sounds good.’ ‘I’ll follow through with that,’” he says.
Chris argues that limiting unnecessary explanations can help employees avoid feeling like they constantly have to defend themselves.
“If they're used to you giving long explanations for why you do what you do or where your responses are, and you're constantly on the defensive, that's where you lose,” he says. He also suggests being noticeably friendly and engaged with other people at work.
“Now have amazing conversations with people around them. Let them see those conversations where you're giving major responses and you're responding in a normal way and being pleasant and good and everything goes the right direction. They'll get real jealous real fast and figure out what their problem is,” Chris says.
@christabletilt Dealing with an aggressive disrespectful manager? Here’s a quick move that will throw them off.#badboss #officepolitics #leadershipcoaching #officelife #toxicworkenvironment
♬ original sound - Chris Rossman
The video felt relatable to many viewers
Several viewers said they could relate to Chris’ advice, with some sharing their own experiences with difficult coworkers and managers.
One commenter said they use a similar approach with a coworker who they believe tries to control the office. “I do this to a toxic coworker peer who believes they run everything in the office,” they wrote.
Another commenter suggested using the approach while searching for a new job. “Do that at the same time you look for another job,” they wrote.
Finding another job, however, is not always an immediate option for employees who are unhappy with their workplace. Some viewers said the advice could be useful for people who have to continue working with difficult colleagues or managers.
“Bad managers won't understand this,” one commenter wrote.
Another viewer argued that keeping communication concise can be useful regardless of whether someone has a difficult manager. “I mean you should be doing this even if your manager isn’t a scumbag…great managers genuinely want their employees to follow through on their work without over communicating the most basic stuff,” they wrote.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims or advice shared in the video. Chris, who posts on TikTok as @christabletilt, shared the advice based on his own perspective on dealing with difficult managers in the workplace.
