Posted on 12/08/2010 10:59:44 AM PST by jilliane
I sincerely apologize for the vanity post. I need advice from intelligent people in regards to a workplace problem. I've searched the internet, forums, career advice sites and can't find any relevant advice.
With no HR and you feel it’s making your work environment hostile, you need to contact your state’s labor resources.
If it’s just a bother, “accidentally” do an occasional “respond to all” from a BCC and include others in it. If your fellow employees follow case, dinko will knock it off soon enough. There are plenty of other ways to make him miserable, google it a bit.
Ahh corporate politics. Something you never get taught in school....
Just follow along. Don’t engage in gossip, or be destructive and don’t do anything clearly unethical. Focus on the facts and the task at hand. There’s no way everyone can get along, no way you will like everyone, or that everyone will like you.
The boss may be a jerk, but don’t try to fight him, as you will suffer for it. He’ll probably get transferred, fired, promoted, or quit within a year anyway.
Need more info. Is company privately held? Board? Family-owned? Publicly traded?
From the way this guy sounds, you may want to also document your spoken conversations with him, as well. An easy way to do this is to type up what you talked about (job specific) and get him to verify you have everything correct.
...buy yourself a paper binder (leave the price tag on it, put your name on it and mark it “PRIVATE”) and lock it in you desk!...DO NOT LEAVE anything on your desk or work station
Bosses that think your using company supplies automatically think they have the right to snoop. Using your own money to purchase “private” record keeping or documentation...BUT DO DOCUMENT EVERYTHING
“Whiny, little shits who seek to use human resource triangulation deserver the union they end up in. “
you’re a peach
Micro managers are a royal pain to work under. I've been there, done that. The situation usually doesn't improve, but you should give it a try.
Have you tried approaching this guy and asking him if he thinks this type of behavior is really appropriate? Or, if the impromptu meetings are really productive? Is he open to any suggestions at all?
If not, can you go to the person he reports to? I am suggesting that only as a next step if the direct approach doesn't work.
Make it clear to him (or, if necessary, his supervisor) that you like your job and remain enthusiastic about contributing to the company. However, micromanagement of this nature is really dampening you enthusiasm.
Continue to do the best job you possibly can, even under these lousy circumstances. My experience, over a fairly long work history, is that micro managers eventually burn themselves out and often sooner than you expect for the very reasons which you mention.
I've had over 35 years in the workforce, no more than 9 years in the same workplace, and have survived 6 different micro managers. I've had at least that many mediocre to great managers. The only micro manager I did not survive was because I took a better opportunity first.
Good organizations tend to value the people who do actual work. They also understand that a manager who holds an excessive number of meetings generally does so because they are afraid of making their own decisions, they do not inspire confidence in the people who report to them, or any other number of reasons, none of which are positive.
Good luck.
Reply all and ask, “What action should I take on this?” and have as many people as possible do the same to errode his power base. The more the merrier. This Boss is playing everone against each other in some twisted “workplace survivor” scheme to consilidate power. If he is related to the owner...forget this advice and move on.
I had a boss that did stuff like this. I dispatched him with a curare tipped toothpick.
Search Google for software to unencrypt the BCC. BCC is only secure from novices.
Don’t use email with him if at all possible. When ever he emails you something sensitive, ambush him in the hall or where ever. After you have the conversation, log your conversation in your journal and archive the message.
When he sends you an email, don’t click reply. Create a new message and mark the sensitivity to high and if in outlook you can set the do not forward option.
Also, on exchange servers, you can set your message to self-destruct after 24hrs.
There are many other tricks you can do.
Including embedding an image in the email so that it opens a file on your computer so you can log the names of the computer that open the email. If it is outlook and it comes from the Internet though, Outlook disables images for non-trusted contacts.
If you really feel miffed, you may want to have a conversation with him or add a statement to the bottom of this email stating “The contents of this email are intended for the addressed recipient only. The contents are private communications that may be subject to Federal, State, and Local Laws not limited to the Employee Privacy Act, Wire Tap Laws, and Attorney Client Privilege. If you have received this message in error, please notify the original sender.”
If you google, you will find other similar statements available for your use.
Unless he is reckless or is willing to consult a lawyer everytime he wants to do a BCC or spread the contents around, he won’t.
I agree with some of the others. “Reply All” with a message like “Please let me know what I can do to help you resolve this for the best result for our company..” or something of the sort. Add your boss’ boss to the CC field (but not directly call him out).
Make yourself look like the person who just wants to do what is best for the company, not get into any office politics.
THE GOOD NEWS: this person is seeking allies and believes you to be a potential ally. That’s good news because at least they aren’t openly attacking you — yet. Don’t flatter yourself into thinking you’re the only one, though.
THE BAD NEWS: you don’t WANT to be their ally. Do you.
My advice is simple yet difficult to follow, I know. Kind of like how to lose weight: eat less, exercise more. Simple advice, tough to follow.
So here it is: JUST DO YOUR JOB. Do it to the best of your ability. To the maximum extent practical simply ignore all of the political crapola, the intrigue, the implications, etc. Think in terms of what’s best for your company and your company’s customers and do that, and only that.
Carefully consider and make ALL your decisions based on that criteria, including decisions on whether/how to respond to this weasel, and *in the long run* you will be respected, and succesful.
FWIW
FRegards
thanks
One thing I enjoy about the whiny style of one-sided internet-complainers-seeking-anonymous-advice is the occasional end of the employee's misery by being fired after the boss/management reads the same bulletin board.
ahh if we could all be so perfect, wouldnt the world be great
that sounds like goo advice
So true
Google yourself often, if you come up in there, even if it looks good, that is bad.
Companies are even wanting to check people’s facebook page. If it has your name on it make sure it is classy and won’t be derogatory to anything you want to do in the future.
At that point the phone will ring. When you answer it, no-one will be on the other end.
Exactly one week later you will be found dead in a cupboard, your face distorted in horror.
(Sorry, I'm know I'm not helping!)
Never “Reply to All” unless absolutely necessary.
> THE GOOD NEWS: this person is seeking allies and believes you to be a potential ally
I have found that people who gossip to me about other people is usually gossiping to the other people about me. This personality tends to triangulate everyone against each other in some distorted impression that they have a lot of “close” friends
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