by Elsewhere 16 Replies latest jw friends
1. My boss tells me to take more initiative and solve problems on my own so I don't have to bother him so much.
How do I handle this???
You must be of his game, not in his game.
(goddam, don't you hate it when people talk in riddles?)
Go home and have a beer.
Your doing exactly as directed..
And..
Being told your Idiot for doing it..
Your boss likes to F*ck with people and Smile..
I worked with a guy like that..
I finally got pissed off..
He got scared and found someone else to abuse..
People like that,need a victim..
........................... ...OUTLAW
Yeah,
Outlaw quit his job. Now he grows weed.
Is there a way to merge both approaches?
Inform boss of problem, but at the same time, state what you intend to do. If he or she is really a problem boss, add a diplomatic, "With your permission." (?)
Do we work for the same boss??
In my case it helps to copy him on emails that go out, just so he's in the loop. I take the initiative to solve the problem and handle everything myself, but afterwards I let him know what I did just so he doesn't come at me with 'why didn't you tell me about it' later on.
If it's a more complex issue, I will go to him and let him know what I think I should do and what I plan on doing, to get his input on the matter...that way I'm not bugging him for help but at the same time he knows what's going on still.
P.S. If I'm ever in British Columbia I'm looking you up Outlaw!
P.S. If I'm ever in British Columbia I'm looking you up Outlaw
Just to warn you,
It depends on what stage his crop is in. One rule I never forgot was NEVER GO IN THE BASEMENT!!!
I had that happen when I worked in billing for a major water utility....
I was a billing specialist..dealing with complex water billing issues (California has some of the nuttiest conservation rate schedules in the country).....and there was a rate change.... causing exception flags to appear on nearly every one of the hundreds of bills generated each day...meaning someone had to manually go in, look at the bill to make sure it was good, then override the flag...
...I knew what the problem was...the rate change caused all of the bills to fall outside of the parameters...the parameters needed changed...no big deal, right? Went to the team lead...she says nothing can be done...just do your job....go through them one by one ....(meanwhile, dozens....then hundreds...of billing adjustment requests from customers are piling up)...I go to her boss....she says it has to be submitted to IT as a job request...and that takes several days to weeks depending on priorities...
...sh*t.... so I get in touch with my contact out in california (they were 2 hours behind us)..... tell him what is going on...he asks me what I need.... he says...just a min...I will email the IT guy..... a few minutes later...I get a Lotus note saying the parameter has been changed...recalculate the batch...
...I go over to my team lead....tell her to recalc the batch...she says no...its not your batch...go back to your own work...... I reach over my coworkers shoulder....grab his computer mouse...click on the recalc button....pause.... bingo...exceptions drop from hundreds to less than a dozen.....coworker pleased...boss pissed.....lol
team lead (boss) is pissed...what did you do? I told her I got the parameters changed... she says when? a few minutes ago.... you cant do that....there are procedures.... yeah...meanwhile I need help with adjustments...not wasting time overriding false exceptions...
my boss's boss' boss was impressed with my initiative.... my boss was pissed because she didnt think of it ..... it was a matter of time before she figured out a way to get me out the door...lol
Ironically.....I could have had her job if I could have worked Thursday nights (I worked M-F afternoons except Thursday...you know why)....
...point is...there are idiots everywhere...
Snakes (Rich )
Thanks for the tip Shamus!
Note to self: Basement = NO!!!!!
May you have peace!
Problem is... your boss doesn't know how to be a "good" boss. Most "middle management" bosses don't. Most of them think that such knowledge is instinctive... that they automatically morph into a "good" boss just because they've been promoted/got the job. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of them get the job because those with brains won't take it. And most of them... don't have a clue as to how to supervise. They hand out orders willy-nilly that they themselves wouldn't ever be able to follow.
So, how do you handle it? You've got options:
FIRST OPTION: Talk with your boss. Not TO your boss... or about your boss... but WITH your boss. You go to him and say something like:
"I totally understand that you want me to take more initiative, but I'm not sure what that means to you. For me, it means..."
and then tell him what it means to you. Then say:
"But I'm not sure it means the same thing to you because when I... you responded... and that made me think that perhaps we're not on the same page. Am I missing something? I'd really like to do this the way YOU need me to, so any input from you would be really appreciated."
Then... listen. Don't assume what he's going to say. And don't take anything he says personally (especially if he's really a jerk - in that case, you're no one special to him and he'd probably respond to anyone the same way).
LISTENING may require (1) that you remain silent until he has finished, even if you're chomping at the bit to say something; (2) that you don't indicate (with your body language) that you know what he's "going to" say... even if you already know; (3) that you don't anticipate what he's going to say... if you don't know; and (4) that you "reflect back" what you believe he's saying (for example, "Okay, what I hear you saying is..." and then ask "Is that correct?"
And then LISTEN again. Let HIM tell you what he wants, specifically.
If you do this, one of two things will happen: either he'll get more specific and clarify what he needs and is looking for OR he'll realize you're smarter than he thought you were (and, most probably, smarter than him!)... and get off your back. Either way, you win.
The ONLY way you'll lose is if he's an anal retentive blow-hard, who really doesn't give a hoot how his deficient supervisory skills are affecting his subordinates. In that case, my advice would be to consider the SECOND OPTION:
Put in for a transfer... or change jobs. Because bosses like him don't change.
I bid you the greatest of love and peace.
Your servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
