How do I handle a difficult supervisor.

[CattyBrown]

I have been at my place of employment for 4 years. 7 months ago I moved to a different location but doing exactly the same job. The longer I have been there, the worse things seem to be getting. The main problem is my supervisor.

Main things are:

Talking to the people in our dept like they are on her shoe.

Having a bad habit of telling you how to do something one day and then next day change her mind without telling us and give talking to us like children when we don't do it the new way.

There is no consistency or trust with her.

Talking over us if we are trying to discuss something

Only speak to me when she wants to bark out orders and tell me what to do.

Completely ignoring us for hours at a time

On one of two occasions she has needed to reach something near me and instead of asking etc, she has shoved past.

My other colleagues all feel the same about her, but, none of them will actually stand up to her or speak to her senior as she is highly regarded by the managers and IS good at her job.

In the past she has reduced people to tears and people have either left or asked for transfers to different departments.

I spend alot of time travelling to and from work and the mornings are so stressful as I never know what mood she is going to be in and whether I should be walking on eggshells or not.

[CattyBrown]

Any help would be greatly appreciated guys.

[MoaningMingeWhingesAgain]

I have only got a couple of suggestions -

*Confirm by email what she has instructed you to do, so that if there is any dispute you have a paper trail Hi Grumpy, I will do this and that stupid thing as you directed me to this afternoon, any queries I will be on my mobile until 5.

and

*Lower your expectations, don't expect her to start being friendly and nice. Treat her as you would anyone else and remember you are being paid to tolerate her. Nod smile ignore can work well at work as well as with in-laws. I would suggest don't walk on eggshells, if she is super arsey she will make a show of herself soon enough (give them enough rope and they'll hang themselves kind of thing)

Read your HR policies, go direct to her line managers if things escalate with proof rather than moaning.

And maybe, take her on. Ever so politely. Request a meeting, say that it can be difficult at times when the procedures are changed, what advice can she give you to help with that. Ask for feedback, make sure it's documented. Protect yourself, basically.