Your boss is your biggest advocate and the person who can make or break you.
Your boss is the one who decides whether or not you get a raise, whether or not you get promoted, and whether or not your job is safe.
If your boss is happy with you, then you’re golden.
But if you’re noticing signs your boss is not happy with you?
You could be in for a rough ride.
If you want to know whether or not your boss is cool with you and appreciates all that you do or if they’re waiting for an opportunity to fire you, look out for the following signs your boss is not happy with you:
8 Signs Your Boss is Not Happy With You
1. You don’t get feedback at all.
One of the signs your boss is not happy with you is that they don’t give you feedback.
The reason this is a problem is that, without feedback, it’s hard for you to know how to grow, develop, and improve.
Think about it: if you were trying to learn how to play guitar and your instructor never told you what you were doing wrong, how would you ever be able to get better?
The same principle applies when it comes to work.
If your boss doesn’t offer any feedback on your performance at all, it’s impossible for you to improve.
A boss who is happy with you will want you to improve, the one who isn’t doesn’t care about your career development.
2. You get passive-aggressive comments, notes, or emails
Passive-aggressive behavior is a way of expressing anger without directly confronting the person who’s making you angry.
It’s often used as a defense mechanism to avoid conflict or confrontation.
Your boss may not be able to come out and say that he or she is unhappy with you, so they’ll express their anger in an underhanded way.
Passive-aggressive behavior is a lot like the game of cat and mouse.
Your boss is like the cat, and you are like the mouse.
You chase after your boss, trying to get their approval, and they run away from you, not being direct about their feelings toward you.
Here are some examples of passive-aggressive behavior:
* You’re given vague instructions or constructive criticism that makes you feel like you did something wrong, but your boss won’t tell you what exactly it is.
* You get a note from your boss criticizing something about your performance, but when you ask for more information, they refuse to give it.
* You have an issue that needs to be discussed with your boss, but every time you try to talk about it, they have an excuse not to have time or make eye contact with you.
3. You’re not part of the team anymore
Feeling like you are not part of the team anymore is one of the signs your boss is not happy with you.
When your boss is happy with you, they want to include you in the team and make sure that you know what’s going on.
They want to make sure that you’re on board with their vision, and that they can rely on you when they need help.
When they’re not happy with you, however, they might start treating you differently e.g.
- You’re left out of important meetings
- Your boss doesn’t seem interested in what you have to say
- You’re not included in emails about upcoming projects.
4. You’re no longer being mentored.
Mentoring is an important part of being a great employee.
It’s how you get the training and guidance you need to succeed, so it’s not surprising that when your boss stops mentoring you, it can signal that they’re not happy with you.
Mentorships are so important because they allow us to develop our skills while simultaneously building relationships with people who can help us grow into better versions of ourselves.
Mentorships are meant to be reciprocal relationships: You can help your mentor as much as they can help you.
If your boss has stopped mentoring you, something ain’t right.
5. Your meetings with your boss are awkward and brief.
You may have noticed that your meetings with your boss have become awkward.
They are brief and you don’t feel like you can ask questions, or that they are interested in what you have to say.
While this could be caused by a number of factors, if it happens consistently, then it is likely that your boss is not happy with you.
6. Your boss is critical of every aspect of what you do.
A boss who constantly says things like, “this is terrible” or “you can’t do anything right” is not a boss who thinks highly of you.
A boss can criticize your work, however, if you’re doing everything by the book and accomplishing every goal set before you, and your boss has nothing but criticism, they are not happy with you.
7. Your boss doesn’t offer praise or compliments.
If your boss doesn’t offer praise or compliments when you do something well, it’s a sign that they aren’t happy with you.
This is especially true if your boss has always been very positive about your work in the past.
The fact that they don’t say anything about your performance now could mean that they think something is wrong in your relationship.
8. They are cold towards you.
One of the most obvious signs that your boss is not happy with you is that they are cold towards you.
Your boss might not be warm and fuzzy to everyone in the office, but if they are cold towards you specifically, that’s a sign that they’re unhappy with you.
A boss is supposed to be warm and welcoming and if yours is acting distant, it’s not cool.
If your boss’ attitude towards you bothers you, you should talk with them, and see if you can get them talk.
Otherwise, your workplace will be too toxic, and you don’t wanna be in a toxic work environment!
