How to Handle an Unpredictable Manager

It can be challenging to deal with a manager who acts like Jekyll and Hyde. You never know if the friend or the bully will show up. Here are a few tips for surviving:

• Don't take it personally. You may have only said something that triggered a more significant issue for them, or perhaps you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

• Ignore the yelling and listen to what your manager is saying, not how he’s saying it.

• Identify triggers or patterns in his behavior. Discover out the cause of your boss’s mood swings — whether it’s low blood sugar, pressure from clients, or something emotional.

• Stay calm, and don’t respond angrily; this will only aggravate the situation. You don’t want to say something in the heat of the moment that you regret later.