For instance, I’ve heard many stories from clients about bosses raging in meetings or getting in their employees’ faces and berating them for mistakes or even shaming employees in front of others.
This kind of outrageous behavior is abusive. If this is happening in your place of work, never silently take it.
Your silence will lead to resentment and will chip away at your sense of self-worth.
If your boss is being disrespectful or abusive, address the behavior directly and in the moment.
If there are a lot of people around and you don’t feel comfortable doing it with an audience, request that your boss speak with you immediately following the incident.
For example; a client of mine said to her boss, “Mr. Jones, I’d like to speak with you about the meeting today.
Can we please schedule 15 minutes to do that?”
Once you are sitting down with your boss, own your mistake.
If you were wrong, state the behavior you didn’t like and ask for what you want now and/or in the future.
Be sure to be clear, to the point and specific about what you want.
My client said: “Mr. Jones, I apologize for not proofreading the document I handed you.
I will not make that same mistake again.
I want you to know, however, that the way you gave me that feedback did not feel okay for me.
I do not like to be yelled at anywhere in my life—work included. I
I would like for you to discuss things with me in private and to do so in a respectful tone. Are you willing to do this?”
