5 Ways to Deal With an Erratic Boss

Lately, it seems like something is off. Some days, he just sits in his office with the door closed, not talking to anyone. Other days, he rushes around to meet deadlines or changes his mind at the last minute. He either takes weeks to respond to messages, or blankets email, text, and internal Slack channels to reach you.

If this sounds like your manager, you are not alone. Human-resources leaders, career coaches, and other talent professionals are hearing more and more clients complain about erratic behavior by managers and bosses. “It’s getting to the point where it is impacting people’s performance,” says Korn Ferry Advance career coach Stacey Perkins.

To be sure, bad behavior should be reported to HR, experts say. But as Perkins points out, the pressure on managers, particularly those in the decimated middle ranks, is high, and has led to levels of burnout, stress, and disengagement that rival those during the pandemic. More than one-third of managers report feeling burned-out or disengaged, for instance, and two-thirds say they are stressed out by heavier than normal workloads. The result: Over the last year, reports of inconsistent management behavior, leadership volatility, mood swings, and other erratic behavior have increased measurably in surveys and polls.

Against that backdrop, we asked our experts for their best tips or advice for dealing with an erratic boss. Here’s what they said:

Fact-check your feelings.

Have coworkers noticed similar behavior? asks Ryan Frechette, an associate principal with Korn Ferry Advance. Do they have similar impressions of your manager? Even managers can have bad days, and maybe you just happened to catch yours on one of them. “Fact-checking your own thoughts helps give a clearer perspective and remove some of the emotional or personal thoughts that may cloud judgement,” says Frechette.

Find out the why.

“Bosses like to be asked how they are doing too,” says Perkins not so jokingly. The point being, it’s easy for employees forget that managers are people as well, and that they could use some support, or just a sympathetic ear, every now and then. Be tactful, of course—don’t start a conversation by saying you’ve noticed they’ve been acting erratically lately, for example. “Tap into your human qualities for empathy and care,” says Frechette.

Be the consistent one.

The best way to counter unpredictable behavior is by being consistent. “Proactive updates are important when dealing with an erratic manager,” notes Perkins. Simple things like an email at the end of the day or week—including a status update on work performed and due—can go a long way. Establishing a routine can help keep managers on an even keel, at least as it relates to your work and performance, she says.

Anticipate, and act.

Pay attention to patterns and triggers, advises Frechette. If you know your boss tends to be edgy before meetings with a particular client, for instance, you can anticipate that and adjust accordingly. “Maybe offering to take something off their plate that day could help get them back on track,” he says. At the very least, knowing what to watch out for can help you avoid overreacting to and escalating a situation.

Determine if the situation is temporary or permanent.

Some managers and employees thrive in a state of chaos. Most, however, do not. Seventy percent of people in one recent survey admitted that they’ve considered quitting because of their manager’s behavior; other studies show that people with unpredictable bosses are 2.5 times likelier to quit. If your manager’s erratic behavior starts to become more permanent than temporary, “you might have to make a decision about whether you can operate in an environment like that or not,” says Perkins. As the old saying goes, people quit managers, not companies.

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