by Hickman

Created on: June 11, 2010

Despite the sunny news coming out of Wall Street, this is still a dill-pickle of a recession!  And you may find yourself in the unenviable position of having to work for someone who makes no secret of hating your guts. I know it is difficult to imagine anyone not enjoying your company in the workplace, but it happens (even to your humble author).  But hold forth noble employee, there is hope and dare I say it…Successes to be had in these circumstances and I offer 3 survival tips to navigating these dangerous waters.

Survival Tip Number 1: “Fake it ‘til you make it”

I know it is soul stealing to have to plaster on a smile and pleasant demeanor when communicating with people who don't like you and you, obligingly, despise in return, but this is the first and most important step to working in this sort of environment. You must smile, be pleasant and always scrupulously professional in the face of the workplace tyrants. Firstly, relentless cheer confuses and disarms them and secondly, your pleasantness lets others in the work environment see how vicious, unfair and brutal The Boss is towards you, aligning them on Your Side.

(Scoreboard:    You, 1      The Boss, 0)

So yes, even though The Boss goes out of their way to assign the most unpleasant tasks to you, you accept that stack of files with a smile like it was a present from Santa.  There is nothing like maniacal, unwavering, cheerful, agreeable attitude to deflate a workplace bully.  So “fake it ‘til you make it”, “kill them with kindness”, “turn the other cheek”, whatever you have to do to get through the day, week or year until you make it out of this situation and into a better employment position. “Fake it ‘til you make it”, this self-help mantra is not just for the 12-Steppers anymore.

Survival Tip Number 2:  Vigilance is Key!

You must never relax your guard, always be prepared for unwarranted criticism, blame placing, workplace gossip and sabotage from The Boss and their allies in the office.  So don't just smile your way through the day and expect that to be the end of the hard work you need to put in while surviving a workplace where the supervisor dislikes you.  You must secure your work station from probing, keep your email, phone and written correspondence neutral and professional at all times (always commiserate face-to-face with your fellow oppressed,

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