How do I deal with a bad manager?

You have options, and they're worth trying — but be realistic about the ceiling. You can manage upward, protect yourself, and build visibility that doesn't depend on them. You generally can't change their character. **Deal with each behaviour specifically, because they need different responses:** *Constantly changing priorities* — make the cost visible in writing, without conflict. 'Happy to switch to X. That means Y moves to next week — confirming that's the trade you want.' This does three things: it protects you, it makes the churn visible, and it often reduces it because the cost becomes explicit rather than absorbed by you silently. *Vague feedback* — force specificity with questions. 'When you say the report needs more polish, what would a good version look like? Can you point at an example?' If feedback stays vague after asking directly, that's their limitation, and you should seek feedback elsewhere — peers, skip-level, a mentor. *Taking credit* — the fix is visibility, not confrontation. Send written updates to a wider group. Present your own work where possible. Build relationships beyond your manager so others know what you do. Use 'I' in written updates where accurate. Direct accusation rarely works and usually costs you; being independently known works. **Protect yourself in general:** - **Document.** Keep records of decisions, requests and your contributions. Not to build a case, but because it turns disputes about what happened into facts. - **Follow up verbal instructions in writing.** 'Confirming what we discussed: I'll do X by Friday.' Trivially polite, and it removes ambiguity later. - **Build a skip-level relationship** if the culture allows. Not to complain — just to be known by someone above. **Before concluding they're unfixable**: have one direct, calm conversation about the pattern that bothers you most. Some managers are unaware rather than malicious, especially new ones. 'I find it hard to prioritise when direction changes mid-week — could we set priorities at the start of each week and hold them unless something urgent comes up?' A specific, solvable ask succeeds far more often than a general complaint. **When to leave**: if you've raised it clearly, been acknowledged, and nothing changed over several months; if it's affecting your health; or if your reputation is being damaged and you can't route around it. A bad manager is one of the most common reasons people leave jobs, and it's a legitimate one. Transferring internally is worth exploring first — you keep tenure and relationships, and often only the manager was the problem.