Difficult Supervisors

As students and friends start telling me about their jobs, one thing that I hear from time to time is what it’s like to work for terrible supervisors. I’ve heard stories of bosses who expect subordinates to politic and brown-nose, supervisors who never recognize accomplishments, and more micro-managers than I can count. I had a student this past semester tell me that she was excited to get out of college and into the “real world” where people around her would be competent and responsible and always do their work. I told her to let me know if she ever found that to be true. The fact is, there are a lot of really bad people who are in charge of things. Scott Adams has done very well portraying that type of boss in his Dilbert cartoons. The reason Dilbert’s plights are so funny is that there’s a ring of truth in them. The same could be said with Michael Scott’s antic’s on NBC’s The Office. Ideas such as the Peter Principle humorously explain that good workers may be promoted up a hierarchy until they reach a position for which they are not qualified. Then they stay in that position (sometimes indefinitely). We laugh, in part because we can identify with the workers in each. There are some really lousy bosses out there, which is even worse when you consider that one of the biggest factors in job satisfaction is one’s relationship with a supervisor.

So what does the Christian do when he or she works for such a poor supervisor? You might not like the answer all that much. First, pray for your boss. That’s not praying that he or she gets fired or transferred. God calls us to intercede on behalf of those around us. Second, remember that you have to submit to your boss. It doesn’t matter if that respect is deserved or not. The Bible is relatively clear that workers should be sincerely submissive. That’s particularly tough with a difficult boss. If you boss is incompetent, it’s hard not to make fun of him or her. If your boss is belligerent or doesn’t respect you, it’s hard not to look for ways to get back at him or her.

What submission doesn’t mean is just going with the flow just because that person outranks you at work. The Bible has several examples of subordinates who respectfully disagreed with a supervisor. Joab confronts David about mourning for Absalom (2 Samuel 14: 1-20) and about the census (2 Samuel 24:3). Daniel tells those responsible for him that he would like a different diet than the others in court (Daniel 1:8-14).

But just because you can disagree with your supervisor doesn’t mean you can gossip about him or her. Remember back to the idea of respect. Solomon describes how a little birdy might hear if someone gossips about the king. When you gossip about a boss, beware of thinking that the boss will never hear what you say.

Finally, remember that your actions toward the difficult supervisor should be filled with mercy and love. It’s more important that you show love to a difficult supervisor, even if he or she seems unlovable, than it is that you have everything go your way. After all, that boss is only human. And God has shown His mercy to all of us, even while we were “difficult.”

None of this may make a difficult boss less frustrating. In fact, it may be even harder to work for him or her. Jesus promised His disciples that they would have trouble but that He had overcome the world (John 16:33). I heard a preacher once say, “as long as He is on the throne, we’re gonna be all right.” Perhaps that’s something to take comfort in.