Handling an unhappy workplace

CHICAGO – Sam Glenn followed some wise counsel when he found himself in a bad job situation. His mother told him first, don’t quit, and second, have a frank chat with his boss at the small computer communications firm where he worked.

Feeling trapped in unhappy work environments is sending many people in search of solace and advice. With the economy sputtering and unemployment on the rise, these workers are trying to make the best of a bad situation rather than not have a job at all.

Experts say it’s critical at such a time to not burn bridges with an employer.

“No matter how unhappy you are, it’s important to come in to work with your game face on so that you can be sure of retaining your current job while you’re thinking about finding another one,” said Mary Crane, a Denver-based consultant to Fortune 500 companies and law firms.

Glenn, 37, of Naperville, Ill., relied on his mother’s wisdom to survive a difficult first job out of college. Stuck with an overbearing, short-fused boss, he set up a meeting with him and asked if he could have someone else supervise him.

“I said, ‘Look, if you want me to do better here and get you the sales you want, I need a different supervisor. I don’t do well when I’m being micromanaged,’ ” Glenn said. ” ‘And No. 2, sometimes you yell a lot, and I don’t do well with people who yell at me.’ “

That might sound risky, but it proved a sound strategy. Inspired by that success, Glenn went on to become a workplace consultant and motivational speaker focusing on attitudes in the workplace.

Bad managers may be even more abundant in today’s conditions.

“There’s so much stress, anxiety and fear because of the economy,” Glenn said. “The sad thing is, all these managers feel all this pressure to keep their business in the green.”

Distressed workers e-mail Glenn about their workplace plights. Often he advises them to consult the company’s human resources department for professional recommendations.

“Instead of going to a job you hate every day and living with all the stress and anxiety, you need to sit down and address it with the powers that be,” he said. “Nobody’s going to get done what you’ve got to get done while there’s an elephant in the room. You’ve got to kill it while it’s small.”

Crane’s dos and don’ts for those dissatisfied with their current positions include one that may be tough to follow: Don’t let co-workers know how unhappy you are – word might get back to the bosses. That means not mentioning it in conversations, text messages or e-mails.

Another tip is to build a professional network so you can obtain mentoring and support outside your office and learn of job opportunities.

Some old-fashioned advice also can be helpful: Focus on a job’s upside.

Crane says she constantly is asked how she deals with a job that requires her to be on the road 90 percent of the time. Downplaying the inconvenience, she tells people she is “the luckiest person in the world” because she gets to go in, solve a problem and move on.