Five years ago, I was transferred to my current IT operations department, where my boss only worked for the subordinates he liked. He didn’t understand our work, couldn’t give clear instructions, and as a result, I, as a subordinate, often received complaints from other departments.
His inability to give clear instructions partly stemmed from the fact that he didn’t rise through the ranks in IT operations but came from sales, so he lacked understanding of our field. Worse, he showed no effort to learn.
He had no grasp of what was happening in our department and only cared about looking good to his own boss. In other words, he worked solely for his superior’s approval.
Since I wasn’t one of his favored subordinates, no matter how hard I worked, he gave me low evaluations. Yet, he’d dump the tough tasks on me while sparing his favorites. This felt like power harassment, and it caused me a lot of stress.
I started treating my boss like a “complaining customer” in my mind.
Thinking of him this way helped me stay calm, even when he pushed troublesome tasks on me. Also, since he lacked experience in IT operations, I began completing assigned tasks at about 80% effort—enough to avoid trouble with his boss.
Of course, I reported the work as if it were 100% complete, but since he had no operational background, he didn’t notice the 20% shortfall.
Beyond confirming assigned tasks, I avoided engaging with him, including casual chats, treating him like a complainer.
Changing someone else’s behavior, like my boss’s, is tough. But you can change your own mindset.
By applying these strategies, I couldn’t eliminate my stress entirely, but I was able to reduce the stress I was carrying significantly.
※本記事は個人の実体験に基づくストレス解消法に関する情報ですが、記載内容は医療アドバイスではありません。専門的なアドバイスを希望する場合は医師へ相談を。
※This article provides information on stress relief methods. The content is not medical advice. Consult a doctor for professional advice.