How do I deal with a manager with an inconsistent leadership style? Ask HR

Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your human resources questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the

world's largest HR professional society and author of "Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.” The questions are submitted by readers, and

Taylor's answers below have been edited for length and clarity. Have a question? Do you have an HR or work-related question you’d like me to answer? Submit it

here. Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. Question: My manager is very inconsistent. He starts off extremely

hands-off, then out of the blue, he starts to show concern about our work. He scrutinizes our work, becoming hypercritical. Then he starts micromanaging us reassigning our tasks.

Once things settle down, he shifts back to hands-off mode. It's very draining and confusing. Can we get him to change his management style? – Kabri Answer I

feel your frustration here. Having a manager with an inconsistent leadership style can be overwhelming and exhausting. I hesitate to suggest that you can get your manager to alter

his management approach. Certainly, only he can do that. However, your feedback can bring awareness to the situation and help your manager learn to be more effective and

consistent.