It’s one thing if your boss doesn’t deserve you. It’s another thing if you and your coworkers don’t deserve your boss. Getting rid of a poor-performing overling isn’t easy, but start here:
Document, document, document.
If you have a host of complaints about your manager, document them—not just as a list of faults but as a list of examples. So you don’t write “Manager is rude.” You write “On March 1, Manager interrupted Tanya six times in a five-minute discussion. She raised her voice and called three people idiots.”
Talk directly to HR.
Don’t rely on an aggrieved coworker to relay information. And don’t assume the HR person will come to you if she wants to hear your side. Make your own appointment, or grab the HR person in the hall, but go talk to her now. Encourage your coworkers to do the same.If all of you explain what’s going on, the powers that be will have a better understanding of the true problem.
Make sure you are direct and clear.
People tend to downplay the problem when asked directly. So when you go to the HR person, say clearly, “This is not about a conflict between the boss and Tanya.” Then refer to your documented list of problems. Do not sugarcoat it with words like sometimes and I feel and maybe. Don’t say “I feel like the deadlines she gives are unrealistic, and that causes stress.” Say “The deadlines she gives are unrealistic. For instance …”
Be prepared for nothing to change.
The manager’s manager isn’t taking care of the problem. If she acknowledges that this manager is an idiot, she has to acknowledge that she made a poor hiring decision. People don’t like to admit their faults, so they tend to ignore this type of problem as long as possible.
