Working on a cruise ship is a complex and challenging job that often involves dealing with high-stress levels. Unfortunately, one of the most difficult aspects of this work can be the managers we work with. Some of them can be biased, untrained, and arrogant, making things even more challenging. As crew members, our primary goal is to create unforgettable memories for our guests. When we succeed in doing so, the sense of fulfillment we feel is truly remarkable.

It's hard to provide excellent service on the ship if you constantly deal with bad managers around you.

Without a doubt, a lack of authentic leadership could lead to disaster, not only on cruise ships but in life generally. 

On labor day, I will give out a few valuable pieces of advice on how to deal with the toxic, annoying, and biased manager on the ship. 

Don't let toxic leadership take over you: Consider these tips to make the best of a challenging situation and come out ahead. Take one step at a time, and breathe...

Dealing with the Bad Boss - Part 1

One of the main reasons that workers become unhappy on the ship is bad management. A bad boss can turn even a good working environment into an uncomfortable and painful workplace. They have the ability to assign good or bad tasks and, ultimately, to fire us. This power imbalance is why a good relationship with your manager is so important. You are not powerless to quietly accept a bad boss and have a responsibility to speak up in an attempt to change the situation. However, you must recognize that some bosses are intentionally bad because they receive benefits to which they are entitled, and you could be seen as a threat, in which case you must know how to defend yourself. If you want to know how to deal with a lousy boss and to improve your work environment, see Step 1 to get started.

Speak up!

If you struggle to have a good relationship with your boss on the ship, you shouldn't stew in silence. Talking to your boss about the problems you're having in a calm, polite, and professional manner can help you work together to resolve them. Of course, the type of relationship you have and the type of person your boss is can affect how you approach your conversation, but in general, saying something and trying to improve the relationship is superior to getting angry and frustrated and not being able to get your work done. You'd be surprised by how many bosses have no idea that the people they are managing are feeling overlooked, angry, frustrated, or like they're getting mixed signals. When you voice your concerns with your boss, they will be grateful you said something.

If you never say anything to your boss about it, then there is almost no chance that your work relationship or work environment will improve. Saying something unpleasant is worth it in the long run.

You should carefully plan what you'll say, ask your boss to schedule a talk, and come prepared with evidence and examples of when you were frustrated.

Work with your boss, not against them. Though it may feel good to undermine your boss or to make him or her look foolish or incompetent, in the long run, it's far better to help your boss look better and to achieve goals that are good for you and the company. Suppose you spend your time making your boss look incompetent at meetings or sabotaging your boss's efforts to get work done. In that case, you'll only be poisoning your relationship and work environment. Instead of making things work for yourself, try to help your boss achieve goals, and everything will run more smoothly. Sure, the last thing you may want to do is work with someone you don't respect all that much. But this is far better than constantly being at odds with someone you work with.

Keep track of all of your interactions. Though documenting all of the annoying or horrible things your boss has done to you may not sound like the greatest way to spend your time, you should start doing this once you feel like the situation has gotten out of hand. Keep all of your negative email correspondences, save memos showing that your boss is giving mixed messages, and do whatever you can to document all the problems you have had in your professional relationship. This is advisable for two reasons. If you and your boss discuss your problematic relationship and act like they don't know what you're talking about, then you have something to point to as proof. If your boss hears that you're getting mixed messages, it's less effective than showing him or her two emails with entirely different notes.

If your boss is the type to bring false charges against you, then documenting all of your interactions, or even having your communication in front of others, can help you set the record straight.

Don't bad mouth your boss to your coworkers. Saying negative things about your boss to your coworkers will only fuel the fire at best or get you in trouble at worst. Though you may feel tempted to vent about your boss's managerial style, you should keep your negative feelings to yourself. Having your coworkers join you in complaining about your boss won't make the problem go away, and if the wrong coworker catches word of what you're saying, it may get back to your boss in a very unpleasant way.

You should especially avoid saying anything negative about your boss to your superiors. This won't help your reputation. Remember that you want to look like the agreeable person who gets along with everyone, not like the crank who always complains about everyone in the office.

Anticipate problems before they happen. Another way to improve your relationship with your boss is to watch out for future issues and try to make them disappear before something blows up. Think of it as anticipating a toddler's tantrum: if you hear your boss begin to fume on the other side of the hallway, you better have prepared something to say to calm him down or have found a way to stay out of the situation. If you know your boss well, you should know the kinds of things that set them off, and you'd be better off if you came up with a game plan before things exploded. If you know that a coworker will introduce a significant problem in the office at a meeting, you can talk to your boss about the problem in advance so they feel prepared.

If you know your boss is in a foul mood whenever it's embarkation day, be prepared for some good news when he or she walks in the door.

Work around your boss's weaknesses. Explaining your boss's weaknesses may be tempting, but you will need more time to get you far in your company or work environment. Instead, work to help your boss to counteract their weaknesses so that everything runs more efficiently and with less conflict. If your boss needs to arrive on time for meetings, offer to kick off the next meeting for them. If your boss needs to be more organized, offer to get the next report into shape before you have to present it to fellow crew members. Look for places where you can really help your boss and jump at the opportunity. If you help your boss get things in order, then your relationship will have to improve. Your boss may even be grateful for it.

Praise your boss when they get it right. Many managers never receive praise because it is mistakenly believed that praise should only flow from managers to employees. You may be nervous about approaching your manager to offer advice. Still, good managers are truly grateful for constructive, useful feedback and will appreciate any opportunity to learn how to do a better job. However, be careful not to flatter a lousy boss because that won't get you anywhere.

Your boss will be impressed at your attempt to make him or her feel more positive about their managing style, and everything will run more smoothly.