Today's workplace can be a difficult environment, particularly if you have a boss who verbally abuses you, mistrusts you or seems intent on diminishing your contributions — in short, he or she doesn't like you.

Dr. Robert J. Flower, organizational systems expert and author of a recently published book called "Decoding Potential: Pathways to Understanding," has some novel thoughts about improving the situation that don't hinge upon your bad boss getting a new job. They depend more on a change in your own attitude.

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Dr. Robert J. Flower

While that might limit the number of kvetch sessions an employee has over a few beers after work, Flower insists that looking inward and tapping one's own potential offers a better solution.

"If I have one criticism of the modern American employee, it is that they don't consider their job as meaningful," said Flower. "They see it as a means to an end. A lot of employees don't accept responsibility for their part in things."

With that in mind, we asked Flower how he thinks employees can deal better with bosses they don't get along with.

Q: If you have a boss who's critical or verbally abusive, what can you do?

A: Try to incorporate the negative into your everyday experience so that you understand that there are issues that come up every day that we're not going to like. Just doing that makes people more aware and stronger.

Q: So are you saying that just changing one's attitude can make having a verbally abusive boss OK?

A: No, not at all. But I am saying that the employee needs to understand that what's going on can be a reflection of the employee and the employee's attitude. The only way you can begin to improve the situation is to realize there's something going on with you, too.

Q: What do you suggest the employee do beyond that?

A: You want to think of a solution, and think in your boss's terms. You want to show hard numbers, an objective determination of why his or her behavior is affecting the bottom line. And then ask for feedback. Say "Look, boss, I know you're unhappy with me, but instead of yelling at me every day, why don't we sit down once a week, and you tell me what I'm doing wrong and what I can do better." The boss in many cases is not aware of the bad spirit being generated.