by Jean Sidden

Created on: November 10, 2009

You're peacefully working away at your computer, sending an occasional email, but attempting to meet a deadline when suddenly, out of nowhere, there she is, your boss. She begins ransacking your desk hunting for a piece of work she claims she needs. She is a compulsive overly controlling boss.

You have the type of boss who thinks being a manager means making certain she's aware of every breath the members of her staff take. There is no cure for it. Instead try to remember the best defense is a good offense. Many people are intimidated by a controlling boss. This is a manipulation. Your boss wants you to be intimidated. It's best to attempt thinking outside this stereotype and learn to be prepared for the moment your boss swoops down on you.

One of the first things you can do as soon as you realize your boss is a micro manager is to organize your desk so that at a second's notice you can put your hands on anything you may be asked for. In the case of a boss who begins attacking the papers on your desk, a simply stated "Is there something I can help you find?", using your most helpful and innocent tone, will end the free for all and put the control of your desk back in your hands.

Another thing that can help you feel more in control of your work is to make certain you have regularly scheduled meetings with your boss, at least once a week and precisely entered on the calendar, so she or he can detail what their weekly expectations, insights and plans are for your work. You will take meticulous notes at these meetings and leave no stone unturned when it comes to asking for detailed clarification of every point your boss makes. If you take on a more compulsive role and begin to micro manage the micro manager, your boss may feel more comfortable giving you a bit more space.

To go along with your weekly meetings, at every point in every day whenever you have any issue or question regarding your work, go to your boss. Many people think the only way to get away from a controlling boss is to try their best to stay away from a controlling boss. But your willingness to communicate will probably be seen as a positive relationship-building asset. The more you prove your own meticulous attention to detail the more chance you have of being left alone to do your work in peace.

Your greatest asset when working for a controller is your intuition and perceptiveness. The better you learn how to "read" your boss the better chance you have of anticipating their needs. Always have the question "Where will they strike next?" answered before it happens. If you can anticipate how they will react and be ready with a response or give them exactly what they need, again, the more you increase your chances of getting time off the leash.

Don't back off or shy away from the controlling boss. It is best to own your job as completely as possible and show them that your work deserves their respect. Unless you resign you'll never be rid of the controller, but you can assure survival and a relative amount of peaceful work time by being prepared, perceptive and confident that your job is your domain.

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