Business Success

Loves Job, Hates Boss: Office Politics Count  Lindsey Novak Q: I have worked for a nonprofit agency for the past year, and I enjoy what I do very much. Unfortunately, I can't stand my supervisor. She has proved herself to be incompetent, unprofessional and dishonest. I talked with my co-workers about speaking to her boss or speaking directly to her about her inappropriate behavior but was discouraged because others have complained about her and nothing has changed. My supervisor is buddy-buddy with her own boss. I feel as if I have no choice other than to put up with her because I can't get support from anyone else. A: Your supervisor's tight relationship with her boss can only go so far. Rally your co-workers and take your complaints to the board of directors. But you can't complain verbally. All of you must document incidents of unprofessional behavior, dishonesty and incompetence, and all of you must sign it. Make sure every complaint is serious and not a personal attack. Most importantly, make sure it is well-written. Mail it directly to the board president (not at the nonprofit's address), who will share it with the entire board. Then the board can make a rational decision. The board members may show favoritism toward certain employees, but their ultimate goal is for the organization to succeed. If they determine that this person is not in line with their goals and values, you and your co-workers will see changes. Just give the board time. Firing someone in charge is a bit more political, and the board may have legal matters, such as employment contracts, to consider. Employee Knew She Would Be Fired Q: It finally happened. My boss made my job a living hell, so I resigned yesterday. She picked on me from the start, and I just knew she wanted to fire me. She found fault with everything I did; she criticized me for not communicating and for not getting the employees' time sheets in on time, even though I have emails showing that I reminded the employees who were late. She blamed me for lab reports being late when bad weather had delayed them. She placed me on probation and picked on me for everything I did. She even changed my lunch hour just to harass me. I complained to the human resources director and the clinic director, but I knew they were not listening to me. The stress was too much on me, and I had to resign. What could I have done? A: Your boss may have not liked you, but personality aside, she wanted an employee who delivered without excuses. She also may be the kind of boss who does not explain how to get things done; she wants a resourceful employee who can make those decisions independently. That might be why HR ignored your complaint. Your job may have involved too many responsibilities and deadlines for you to handle. A drop-dead date means delivery no matter how you do it, no excuses of any kind. For example, if your deadline is Friday and you are missing time sheets on Thursday, an email is not enough. You have to call each person whose time sheet is late so you meet your deadline. Don't let this experience make you feel like a failure. Not everyone is capable of doing every job, despite the unrealistic phrase that "anyone can do anything," which can make people feel worse rather than better when they don't achieve their goals. It sounds as if you were not a good fit for that position, though your boss should have explained the job requirements and her expectations from the beginning. Look for a job with fewer responsibilities and you should be fine. Email Lindsey Novak at LindseyNovak@yahoo.com with all your workplace questions. She answers all emails. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

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Chris Lytle Tip -- Setting Yourself Apart  Chris Lytle's Success Tip: "Companies that are truly successful are different from their competitors. It gives them control over their destiny. If you are not different, your dumbest competitor will set your prices. And, the market will show you no respect." Benson P. Shapiro may live in an ivory tower as Harvard's Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing, Emeritus, but his advice rings true. Answer the question: "What makes us different?" Once you've clarified that for yourself, makes sure your prospects and customers get the message over and over. Click here to visit Lytle's site.

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Quote of the Day  Winston Churchill, British prime minister "Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it."

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