For Boss Day: What type of boss are you?

Temper tantrums, cold shoulders, nitpicking - working with complicated managers is usually more difficult than with tense colleagues. The reason for this is the greater dependence on the boss. "Through the assessment of work performance, the superior determines the future career of an employee in the company, which is why we often communicate more cautiously "upwards." However, respectful confrontation becomes quite possible if we master the rules of the game for dealing with different managers," explains rhetoric professional Jürgen Rixgens about Boss Day, which is celebrated on October 16.

The perfectionist

The perfectionist's leitmotif is: "What you don't do or regulate yourself, becomes nothing". As a controller, he interferes in everything, while pedantically paying attention to details and checking each work step several times. "Not only do the employees suffer from such behavior, but also the work result. Delegation, compromise and teamwork are foreign words to the perfectionist. Routines, standards and principles, on the other hand, bring security and predictability into their lives," explains Rixgens. He recommends that employees only enter into a conversation with the perfectionist well prepared. Spontaneity or unpunctuality are red flags for perfectionist managers. "Employees should show the supervisor that they are reliable and trustworthy. In this way, they create the foundation for fruitful discussions and satisfactory work results," advises the rhetoric expert.

The aloof

Typical of the aloof boss are his reserved manner and his reasoned speech. "His cool and distant demeanor make it difficult to assess the aloof person, while his taciturn manner makes everything come out of his nose. This type of boss doesn't care whether he is popular or not, he mainly deploys his employees according to purpose and company goals," explains Rixgens. The communications expert warns against getting too emotionally and physically close to the distant one. "Benevolent or flattering behavior is understood by the aloof as ingratiation. He despises his employees for wanting to please or even be praised. Better: be patient and keep your distance," says Rixgens.

The choleric

Uncontrolled outbursts of anger and unpredictable, aggressive behavior make the choleric one of the most difficult supervisors to work with. "By directly contradicting, reassuring, or justifying themselves to the choleric, employees only fuel his temper. He persists in battle mode, which makes it impossible to have a factual conversation. Instead of switching to defense mode themselves, employees should rather make the choleric person feel that he is being taken seriously. The rule is: the more relaxed the situation, the more suitable it is for holding a conversation about substantive problems," explains the expert, who is also the author of the book "Complicated Colleagues and Superiors." If all attempts fail, only one thing helps: leave the company. The permanent stress can lead to psychosomatic disorders, depression or burnout.

About Jürgen Rixgens
Jürgen Rixgens is the founder and owner of the Munich-based company Rixcom GmbH, an academy for applied rhetoric. With experience as a lecturer in adult education, TV sports journalist, presenter and as a corporate spokesperson for an international company, he has been working worldwide for more than 15 years, primarily as a rhetor and communications trainer. For companies such as SAP, Roland Berger or Telekom, he regularly travels to countries such as Germany, England, the USA and Asia. His focus there is on communication training and coaching top managers in preparation for press conferences, TV and conference appearances, and difficult customer and employee meetings. He focuses on the culture of good argument and rhetorical techniques that work so that his clients arrive authentically and achieve what they want. He is also the author of the book "Complicated Colleagues and Supervisors - How to Deal with Chatterboxes, Cholerics & Co".