How to Handle Being More Qualified Than Your Boss - The Muse

How to Handle Being More Qualified Than Your Boss - The MuseHow to Handle Being More Qualified Than Your Boss Over drinks a few weeks ago, a good friend vented to me about herbei job. After several minutes of trying to articulate exactly what she wanted to say, she blurted out, Bottom line I shouldnt be working for my supervisor. He should be working for me. Yes, its quite the bold statement, but after a few frustrating weeks, it was how she felt. And I dont think shes alone. Ive definitely had moments in which I felt similarly- moments in which my supervisor was ill-equipped to lead my kollektiv in the direction we needed to go. If you feel this way, its not fun. But diminishing your bosss real strengths, overreacting to his errors, and resisting or resenting his authority are self-inflicted career problems, says Judith Sills, psychologist and author of Excess Baggage Getting Out of Your Own Way. You do need to be learning something in your job. You do need to feel personally valued . When you distort your boss in a negative direction, you make both less likely.So, before you throw in the towel or demand change, there are three things you should do first to better the situation. Because the real bottom line is that if you continue to think this way, youll just enter into a downward spiral that gets harder and harder to retitelbild from.1. Remember That Your Manager Is Just That- a ManagerLets say your supervisors in charge of four people. She is not the sum of the four of you. She cant (and wont) know every single thing each of you knows. If she did, shed be Superwoman. And she also may not need you (or the others) at all. Rather, your supervisor has a much different type of responsibility on her plate- managing you and your kollektivmates. In this type of role, shes supposed to be able to see the big picture, support you, and guide you. According to Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback, co-authors of Being the Boss Three Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader, a m anager needs to know enough to understand the work, enough to be able to make good judgments about it, enough to understand the common hurdles, and enough to coach or find help for those she manages when they struggle with problems. So yes, youre going to need to bring her up to speed sometimes so she can adequately assist you. If youre frustrated because she doesnt know every microscopic detail, perhaps you need to give her a break and remember shes human. However, if find yourself constantly repeating things to her, asking for guidance and receiving none, or being asked for advice on every decision she has to make, then, yep- maybe she isnt quite as qualified as she should be.2. Reevaluate Where You StandEven if you determine the individual you report to should, in fact, not be in the role hes in, that doesnt mean youre fit for it either (at least not yet, anyway). Take a step back and look at your current situation. How are you performing at your job? What was your last performan ce review like? Ask yourself if youre genuinely smarter than your manager, or if its possible that youre more qualified in some areas but not others, suggests Amy Gallo, contributing editor to Harvard geschftliches miteinander Review and author of HBR Guide to Managing People at Work. Its awfully hypocritical to criticize others if youre not doing what it takes to do your job as well as possible. Yes, its hard to provide a completely objective review on your own performance, so this is a great opportunity to ask for input from others (even if its not annual review time). You can start with your director, as thats a more natural and common scenario, but dont stop there. Ask others you work with, too. Soliciting feedback from your colleagues may seem like a scary endeavor, says Muse writer Jennifer Winter, but with enough time, patience, and planning, youll set yourself- and your colleagues- up for success with open, honest, real-time, feedback. It may be just the reality check that s ays, Hey- he may not be the best fit to lead us, but I still have room for improvement, too. And then? Work on those areas that need it most.3. Identify the Gaps and Fill ThemInstead of whining about what the leader of your team lacks, do what you can to fill in those gaps. Because, as Gallo says, Theres no reason not to be generous. If your boss is successful, theres a greater chance youll be successful too. Lets say youre part of your companys marketing department, and the creative director has zero Photoshop skills. While she has a great vision, its frustrating because it limits her capability to jump in and cover when youre gone, as well as her ability to help you when youre experiencing difficulty with the program.But, rather than blabbing to the entire office about how incompetent she is, you can take action. First, make sure youre up-to-date with the product (because- gasp- there might be something you dont know, either). Then, offer to train her and your co-workers. Sure, it ll probably rub her the wrong way if you say, Hi. Youre pretty horrible at this and its ruining my life. Let me help you. A better approach would be something like this I just took a refresher course on Photoshop. In the next team meeting, can I review what Ive learned? Not only does this show initiative, but it also provides you the opportunity to learn new skills, gain experience in training others, and add both to your resume. (Which never hurts, right?) And maybe- just maybe- your boss will pay attention and increase her skill set, too. Its can be exasperating to report to someone who, well, really isnt that great at his or her job. And the truth is, you probably cant stomp around and request she be replaced ASAP (without repercussions). Instead, you should try to change your perspective and focus on what you can change. After all- if you eventually do want land a promotion at this company or even leave for a position at another company, learning how to handle challenging situat ions professionally is key to anything you do next. Photo of meeting courtesy of Corey Jenkins/Getty Images.