Dealing With a Moody Boss

CareerBuilder

Ever feel like your boss is capable of transforming into more personalities than Jim Carrey? Most employees welcome variety and challenge in their work -- but not when it comes to dealing with the boss. Unfortunately, in most jobs, success lies not in just managing your own work, but also by what career counselor Anita Dorsey calls "managing up."

"Managing up is a way to manage the moods and actions of your superiors through careful understanding of what makes them tick," Dorsey says. The key is in knowing what your boss thinks is important and understanding what is placing pressure on him or her. When the boss feels pressure, invariably he or she will displace it to employees. "You have to understand the motivations for the moods, and then you'll know how to handle them and how much effort you should put into reacting," she says.