Your working environment can often have a huge impact on how able you are to do your job. Unless you are freelance or work for yourself, you will probably spend most of your working days in an office with other people who are your colleagues.

Sometimes, these people can make going to work a real joy – you may have a couple of close friends on your team, and you look forward to seeing them every morning. But equally, you may also have some certain people at work who rub you up the wrong way. This is usually inevitable, and most of the time it’s pretty easy to deal with simply by avoiding those people at work who you don’t like.

However, when the person you don’t get along with is your boss, things can be a little more complicated.

Everyone tends to have at least one terrible boss in their lifetime – but it’s how you deal with it at the time that can be the difference between your job being a success, or it crashing and burning before your eyes. Reckon your boss has been sent to you straight from the gates of hell? Here are a few ways to deal with him or her.

Don’t take it personally

Before you take any direct action, first sit back and assess the situation from an outsider’s point of view. For example, you may feel as though your boss talks down to you and that they don’t respect you. But look at how they behave with other people too.

If this is just a personality trait of theirs (an annoying one yes, but merely a trait all the same), it is probably best you don’t take it all that seriously. Although this kind of behavior can take its toll on you, chances are everyone else also feels the same.

If it’s not a job you plan on staying in for a long time anyway, you may just have to grit your teeth and bear it.

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Get back-up

If your issues with your boss are a lot more serious and you feel like you are being treated unfairly, you may need to take slightly more drastic action. Some people do become victims of employment discrimination, and there various grounds on which this commonly happens.

Discrimination in any form can have a serious impact on both your personal and professional life, so speak to legal professionals and trusted colleagues so you can gain their support.

Have a one-to-one

This is perhaps the most intimidating option of all – but if you really want to make some progress and fix your relationship with your boss, you may have to approach them directly. Pick a time where you know they will not be overly busy or stressed out and arrange a one-to-one meeting.

Don’t see this as a chance to air all your grievances – simply explain calmly how you have been feeling and ask them if there is any reasoning behind their behavior.

By tackling the issues in a mature manner, you can show your boss that you are serious about rebuilding this relationship for the good of their company.

This post has been contributed by Ryan Gatt, it may contain affiliate links.