Some bosses seem as if they are hard to please if not impossible. While there are some tough bosses out there, you can try a few things to see if yours responds in a positive way.
Shower Him or Her With Kindness
Kindness and a calm demeanor can diffuse many situations that seem impossible to resolve. If your boss is a high-strung person who seems to rant a lot, try to bring forth a calm element and see if it neutralizes things. Sometimes, that calm element will come as so much of a surprise to the other party that the tension will cease immediately.
Bring Treats
Some bosses like their employees to snug up to them professionally by offering to bring them things like coffee and snacks. Of course, that's not something that you have to do. It's not a job requirement, but you can try it to see how well your boss responds to it. If he or she responds positively, then you know you're on the right track.
Go the Extra Mile
Going the extra mile means putting in the extra work that your boss may want you to put in. You could ask to do some cross training or volunteer to work overtime. Your boss may just be a hard worker who wants you to partake in his or her work ethic. There's nothing wrong with putting some extra work in if you enjoy it, and you think it will be pleasing to your boss. However, you should not do anything that you don't want to do or anything that you feel that you're being pressured to do.
Hopefully, one of the above tactics will work. Some issues may resolve immediately after you start making some changes. Others may not change. If nothing seems to work for you, you may have to think about changing jobs or departments.