''Arrrgggh!!! I wish he/she would fall out of a window and break something important!!''

Sound familiar? It should to you if you've ever been properly humiliated by a bullying boss. We may/may not have come across such.  .  .bosses that always yell at the slightest things, have zero tolerance level, no patience even to answer work questions. Worse, bosses that dress you down in front of a customer or your junior officers.

In this day and age it is expected that bosses should encourage their workers, assist them in areas they are not clear on, play a part in further developing their talents. But still, some bosses feel the need to play Julius Caesar in the office, not bothering about workplace harmony.

Next to an increase in pay, this is a famous reason why people change jobs, though still within the same career field.

So as 2009 begins, here are a few tips for coping with bullying bosses.  .  .more important now that jobs aren't exactly easy to find.  .  .

And if you are a bullying boss reading this, abeg make life easier for your surbodinates.  .  .jump out of a window!! Okay, I didn't mean that.  .  .go de-stress or something. Be a nicer boss.

Tip 1: Do not escalate the boss's ill humor by being argumentative, or shouting back.

Tip 2: Do not be insubordinate.

Tip 3: [/b]If possible, try to ask questions to clarify what the boss's concern is.

[b]Tip 4: Use a calm and quiet voice when speaking to the boss. It can have a de-escalating, calming effect. Remember you have to work with/for this person, so try to figure out what the triggers are. If it is something you are doing, try not to.

Tip 5: [/b]If your boss has moments of sanity, try to talk with him/her regarding the effect the shouting and verbal abuse has on you and on your work. Keep the focus of your comments on the boss's behavior and its effects, not on the boss personally.

[b]Tip 6: If you are ever concerned for your safety, remove yourself from the boss's presence.

[b]Tip 7: [/b]If the situation is unbearable, or the boss is hopeless, consider finding another job. Your physical and mental health should not be sacrificed to keep the boss happy.

[b]Tip 8: [/b]And if you can’t defuse the situation, you can go to HR. File a complaint in your boss's file.

Some of the things you should never do though are wallow in the pain a bullying boss causes, or gossip with co-workers about how bad he or she is.

*feel free to add more tips to the above.  .  .and share some bully-boss/ office jerks stories if you feel like it. *

The only bullying boss I've had wasn't exactly a bully. . .I'm saying that 'cause she was a little over 8 months pregnant at the time, so wasn't really her fault for being such a mini bully