Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s hard to soar like an eagle when you work with turkeys”?
I’ve been hearing stories for an aspiring eaglet about one such turkey for a couple of months now. Her boss is a micromanager whose skills are limited, making it very difficult to work with her. What to do?
Some tips to keep in mind:
- She’s the boss.
She is in the power position; it’s your job to make her look good. As difficult as it may be to accept, you simply must do so while you work for her. If you think you can hide your resentment or annoyance, think again - emotions like these tend to manifest themselves making an already bad situation even worse.
- Make lemons out of lemonade.
It may be a challenge but if you try hard, you can uncover at least one thing you can learn from her. In the most extreme situations, much of what you can learn will fall into the category of “what NOT to do” but don’t give up until you find the thing(s) she does well too.
- Keep your feelings to yourself.
Resist the temptation to loudly broadcast your boss’s failings to anyone at the office who’ll listen. It’s unprofessional and it will come back to haunt you. Tell a friend instead, feel free to vent with no risk to your career.
These tips are useful while you are struggling to deal with the situation but the bigger picture question is, “Is your boss coachable?” If so, you can negotiate ways to work with her that will enable you to do your best work - and to get the credit you deserve for doing it. If not, then it’s time to change your situation.
TAGS: Being a team player, career cache, career derailments, coping skills, strategies for success
Last week I worked with a client who will be on vacation this week. She’ll be at the beach with her family — and her Blackberry. We talked a little bit about her plans to manage the amount of work she does while on vacation. Her habit is to check e-mail once in the morning and then again late afternoon. She does not take her Blackberry out with her during the day so she is not tempted to check it more often.
What’s your vacation workload management strategy? I’m of the opinion that there is no right answer, only one that is right for you. Some people have no problem escaping the grip of email - if you are one of them this post is not for you!
Some ideas for those who do struggle: (more…)
TAGS: business communication, Communication Skills, coping skills, simplifying
All the bad economic news prompted me to write a column for MSN called “Is your money making you crazy?” I culled suggestions from therapists and financial planners about how to deal with the anxiety caused by volatile markets, a rapidly decelerating economy and plunging home prices.
Psychiatrist James Gottfurcht talked about the importance of snapping the physiological feedback loop that can make anxieties and tension worse. One of his suggestions: have a good laugh.
So along with taking a multivitamin, exercising daily and getting enough sleep (other ways to combat stress), I try to get in at least one good belly laugh a day. My secret weapon: podcasts of “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me,” the NPR news quiz. At least once a show, someone pops off a one-liner that brings me to my knees (sometimes almost literally–I can’t count the times a “Wait Wait” wisecrack has nearly caused me to fall off the elliptical trainer at my gym).
Laughter may not technically be the best medicine, but it’s a great weapon to have in your arsenal as we get through these interesting times.
TAGS: coping skills, Economy, recession
