I’d prefer no one, but odds are that at some stage in your future, you would possibly get a bad boss. And while it is easy to merely draw on experiences and step forward, in reality there are some useful lessons from a bad boss

Lesson #1: Don’t Take It Personally

This is actually one of the most valuable office lessons in general, but I didn’t fully get it until I had to deal with a bad boss. I was part of a tiny squad, and my manager was barely present in the workplace. That meant that if he would turn up, he would be greeted with a few weeks’ worth of grumbling as soon as he stepped in the gates. And, since he barely knew what was going on in the workplace, we were the only thing he could ever take apart.

At first, I took any critique personally. Since I wanted to please my manager, I took every point personally. Fortunately, when my supervisor scolded me for an error I didn’t make, I remembered that the role of manager did not imply infallibility. And, most critically, that whatever he was doing had nothing to do with my success and more to do with his.

From then on, I reminded myself that any critique in the office—from a manager or someone else—should never be taken personally, if at all practicable. Sure, feedback can be helpful at times, but it can also be very negative. And if you will learn to look at it critically rather than individually, it would be much easier to maintain your feelings and, ideally, develop the necessary skills.

Lesson #2: It Is Appropriate To Question Authority

This undoubtedly sounds like a bumper sticker from a college town, but it’s a valuable lesson I’ve learned from poor bosses.

For eg, I once worked for a boss who had no business managing someone. She was way over her head and lacking the skills needed to lead a team. Yet she was our boss, and I thought she had every idea what she was doing.

And, one day, we had a meeting with a customer I worked with, and she totally misled him. I discounted it, thinking she must have understood anything I didn’t. Unfortunately, I was mistaken, and I spent the next few weeks trying to untangle the tangle she’d created for me.

I learned at the time that only because someone is in a position of power does not suggest that he or she understands anything. From then on, I started thinking that the word “boss” meant “all knowing.” I didn’t hesitate to share my ideas about how we might solve a problem differently if I felt my manager would profit from my experience or skills. After all, just because you’re a few rungs lower on the organizational ladder than your manager doesn’t mean you don’t have useful insight to offer.

Lesson #3: Request What You Want

This one I picked up on my first work out of college. My boss was notoriously missing and was said to not know the names of those who worked for him (all 12 of us). Since this was my first work out of college, I definitely had a lot to understand, and I figured that in addition to knowing everything—since he’s the boss, after all—my manager really knew everything I wanted and required in my career.

When assessment time approached, I enthusiastically awaited his feedback—and crossed my fingers for a promotion. Unfortunately, considering the good reviews, the promotion was not discussed. After our meeting, I went back to my desk, still angry. A few weeks later, at an after-work party (read: after a few drinks of courage), I had the chance to speak with my manager, and I mustered the courage to tell him I was looking for a promotion. He was taken aback and quickly asked, “Well, why didn’t you mention anything?”

Although it would be best if all of our bosses noticed and rewarded our skills on their own, some bosses, particularly bad ones, need it to be mentioned for them. If you feel you are doing an outstanding job and deserve a raise, promotion, or any kind of reward, you must be able to ask for it. Know your worth, and be prepared to make sure your manager does, too, and your job will be a lot more satisfying.

Unfortunately, poor bosses are everywhere. However, if you can look at your awful manager from a certain angle, you could just learn something useful from him or her. Keep these three lessons in mind when dealing with a bad manager, and you’ll be able to make the most of a bad situation.