5 ways to mend fences with the boss

Disagreements with the boss could lead to your falling out with him or her. If the employee belongs to the lower rungs of the hierarchy, mending the frayed relationship could be tougher. Devina Sengupta from ET shows what you could do in such a situation.

1.

Meet them post-tussle

"Getting out of the office atmosphere for dinner helps. Everyone's guard is up in the office and I have seen interacting outside office cubicles diffuses the tension," says S Venkatesh, executive director, KEC International. This shows the employee still holds the boss in high regard and would like to keep the disagreement strictly professional.

2.

Avoid water cooler conversations

If the spat is not public, it should not be discussed amongst colleagues. If either party gets to know that details of the disagreement have been discussed, working in future becomes difficult. Office gossip will lead to colleagues getting involved in petty politics. However, even if the spat was in public, avoid discussing it with others afterwards.

3.

Discern the degree of disagreement

The degree of disagreement has to be realised by the executive, says Venkatesh. He may want to move on and let the boss know about his intentions. Unless it is an ethical issue, bosses do not give a bad reference. "I have given a good reference to colleagues even when we did not get along," he says. However, if exiting the company is not an option, the employee should discuss a change in team with the super-senior and HR executive in charge of the business.

4.

Hang in there

Mending relationships with the boss will need time and the executive should find out if he or she needs to be put on another assignment. However, the employee should not avoid the senior or call in sick right after the spat. Even if there is awkwardness, one must participate in team work and show that an unpleasant episode or bad relationship will not interfere with work.

5.

Go back to the problem

Disagreements with the boss do not mean employees give up their point of view. They need to take time from the senior, assess the pros and cons of decisions on either side and come to a conclusion. To mend a relationship with the senior, it is important that the executive is perceived to be a problem solver who gives greater importance to the task than to personal equations. The larger goal is to work out solutions and not get swayed by office spats.

Source:-The Times of India