10 obvious signs your boss is threatened by you

Have you ever noticed the difference in your boss’s behaviour when you joined the company for the first time? Everything was shiny and smooth, your boss used to give you the importance and respectably treated you. However, as time passed, there started to become a difference in his behaviour.

It is one of the common problems in today’s world. Initially, everything is working out perfectly, and then things start to change, and you’re not the same person to your boss anymore that you used to be before. Even as time pass, you decide to improve your skills and work harder than before to gain your boss’s respect. But as time passes, things go completely in the wrong direction.

Situations like these can be quite overwhelming, especially if it is your first job. However, you’re not alone. Sometimes, things don’t go our way, and it’s perfectly fine to admit it and look for a resolution.

According to research, almost 57% of employees quit their jobs because of their boss. It could probably be because their bosses are not giving them their due, which they deserve.

If you’re not sure if your boss feels threatened by you, here are the 10 obvious signs your boss feels threatened by you:

1. He doesn’t include you in important meetings anymore

One sign that your boss feels threatened could be that they no longer include you in important meetings like they used to do. You were given an important place at your job before, but now your boss doesn’t think that you’re trustworthy or even qualified to be in those meetings.

That’s one of the things that start to make you uncomfortable as you see the difference in your boss’s behavior.

2. He used to appreciate you in your work

Your boss used to praise you before, tell everyone how amazing you are in your skills, but now he is no longer appreciative of you. He tends to highlight your mistakes more often, and even if you go over the board in doing your job, he simply doesn’t appreciate it.

3. He used to ask your opinion on different matters

One of the other signs is that your boss used to ask your opinion on different things regarding the work, whether it be an important proposal or an important meeting. However, he doesn’t consider you worth asking and does the things he feels are right.

4. He forces you to a smaller office

If you ever had a big office before, but after some months, your boss decides to change your office and dump you into a smaller office. There is a good chance that your boss feels threatened and doesn’t see the need for you to have a good working environment.

5. He used to talk with you about the future of the company

When you first joined your company, your boss had high aspirations for you; he used to talk to you about how both of you would play an important part in growing the company. But now, he no longer considers it relevant to discuss the company’s future plans with you.

6. You feel awkward in your manager’s presence

Whenever you are in your boss’s presence, you don’t feel comfortable like you used to feel before. It could be because your boss doesn’t talk to you much about important things, and you feel awkward, which can be a threat to your boss.

7. He gives you impossible deadlines

When your boss starts giving you impossible deadlines and expects you to over-deliver, it’s time to get attentive. You also know that the given task is impossible to complete in the given time frame, and your boss just wants to torture you by providing these tasks.

8. Your boss gives you time-consuming work

Suppose your boss keeps you busy in low-level time-consuming work, instead of those jobs that polish your skills and give you a chance to shine. In that case, you should better know that he is no longer interested in you or your work.

9. He is over-critical in your work

Sometimes your boss sees you as a threat, and he doesn’t want you to grow. To cope up with his fear, he gets over critical when you do any job. He tries to highlight more of your mistakes, just because he has an inner fear or maybe due to his lack of control.

10. He is blocking your promotion

When you’ve been in a company for a long time, and it’s about the time for you to get your promotion, your boss blocks your advertising with a statement that you’re not good enough yet or some other blame.

What should you do?

Find yourselves lying in any of the above situations. Firstly, you should discuss it with your colleagues and get their support in overcoming this threat. You can also look forward to improving yourself and seeing if it helps change the way your boss sees you or how he behaves with you.

Other things might include talking to higher authorities about this issue and try to know the problem on the grass-root level on why you are being treated this way.

Suppose all of the things don’t play any part in improving your relationship with your boss. In that case, it’s time to move on and find a place where your interest is preserved, and it’s a win-win situation for you as well as the company you work for.