CUT AND RUN MAY BE MOTTO TO FOLLOW.Byline: KEN LLOYD On the Job Q I have been with this company for two years, and there have been several new openings that I have wanted, but each time they have gone to someone else. My manager has told me that I'm in line for one, but I am never picked. He keeps repeating some old saying about how patience is a virtue. What can you suggest? J.B. A You need patience just to be around a manager who deals in old sayings. And worse, many of these sayings are not even true. After all, patience may be a virtue, but he who hesitates is lost. Since your manager is selecting old sayings for you while selecting other people for new opportunities, you need to take more direct action. In the first place, be sure that he has a clear understanding of your objectives. Secondly, provide him with updated information regarding your skills, training, and experience. And be assertive as·ser·tive adj. Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured. as·ser  tive·ly adv. and persistent
the next time that he indicates that you are under consideration for a
position that you want.
Another step that can help in this situation is to ask him precisely what you need to do in order to have a real chance of being selected for a particular opportunity. Then try to follow his advice as closely as possible, and let him know that you are doing so. Since he established the criteria for you to meet for the position, and since you have met the criteria, it will be more difficult for him to give the position to someone else. If you start to hear about the virtues of patience again, perhaps you should put this company out of sight, out of mind "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" was the 99th episode of the M*A*S*H television series, and the third episode of the fourth season. Written by Ken Levine and David Isaacs and directed by Gene Reynolds, it first aired on October 5, 1976 and was repeated December 28, 1976. . Q My boss made a condescending and patronizing statements which escalated to yelling yell v. yelled, yell·ing, yells v.intr. To cry out loudly, as in pain, fright, surprise, or enthusiasm. v.tr. To utter or express with a loud cry. See Synonyms at shout. n. and screaming, which escalated to kicking boxes out the door and punching them. The boss said that employers can treat employees any way they want and employee relations have nothing to do with it. I quit the next day. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. about you or anybody else, but I certainly did not want to stay in that kind of environment. F.S. A If you are seeking validation for your decision to leave a hostile, threatening, intimidating in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. and insulting work environment, you came to the right place. Your boss's understanding of management, leadership, motivation, and human relations human relations npl → relaciones fpl humanas is clearly in negative territory. His comment about human relations is particularly troubling, not only for the employees who report to him, but for the company at large. Bosses who ignore human relations are also ignoring such issues as employee satisfaction, commitment, and productivity. And further, they ignore the possibility of legal action as a result of their outrageous behavior. One question regarding your decision to leave is whether you made any attempt to approach your boss's boss. However, even if you did so, it is not all that uncommon to find that abusive bosses often report to abusive bosses, and even learn their ``skills'' from them. A second question is whether you left in a huff or lined up a more attractive opportunity before exiting. Either way, it will be very important to screen your next employer very carefully in order to reduce the chances of hitching up with another mule mule, in zoology mule, hybrid offspring of a male donkey (see ass) and a female horse, bred as a work animal. The name is also sometimes applied to the hinny, the offspring of a male horse and female donkey; hinnies are considered inferior to mules. . Q Our former supervisor gave us a lot of freedom because he knew that when things got busy, the job always got done. We have a new supervisor who is always walking around assigning frivolous Of minimal importance; legally worthless. A frivolous suit is one without any legal merit. In some cases, such an action might be brought in bad faith for the purpose of harrassing the defendant. tasks to people who don't appear to be engrossed en·gross tr.v. en·grossed, en·gross·ing, en·gross·es 1. To occupy exclusively; absorb: A great novel engrosses the reader. See Synonyms at monopolize. 2. in some project. Is there something we could say to him without jeopardizing our jobs? J.F. A Although you are concerned with your supervisor's fixation fixation: see psychoanalysis. on making your office resemble Santa's workshop Santa's workshop may refer to
adj. 1. Inclined to communicate readily; talkative. 2. Of or relating to communication. com·mu , and mutually respectful, and that is a more serious problem. The reasons for his heightened emphasis on keeping the troops busy can be based on any number of factors. For example, perhaps management informed him at the outset that he is replacing an overly lax supervisor whose employees have too much freedom and power. Or, he may simply be an over-controlling and untrusting leader. You and your associates should discuss the situation with him and present documentation proving that your department is more energized, motivated, and productive with more flexible supervision. Be sure to let him see the amount of time that he can save by such an approach as well. If he truly senses that he can win by being more flexible, there is a chance you will win too. |
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