Re: need suggestions on handling a boss

[Edwin Skau <eddy -dot- skau -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Kari,

In every situation, it makes the most sense to see whether you can change
something about your own behavior to improve the situation. This is because
you
can almost never change anything about anyone else. If you can do this
without compromising on your integrity, that's the best way, and you'll
feel a lot more accomplished.

After you have given that thought, have a quiet, unemotional conversation
with your boss. Preferably a while after the incident, so that the tendency
to blame and accuse is vastly reduced. Ask her for her view on how you
should handle the situation, and consider it. Let her know what you need
from her to address such situations better (more explicit feedback, etc..)

If neither of these approaches work, you need to leave. Many managers these
days are not managerial material. They've risen to that position because
they were in the right place, at the right time.

But give thought to the first approach, or you will run into this situation
everywhere, and you can't leave all the time.

Edwin


On Wed, Dec 7, 2011 at 7:36 AM, Al Geist <al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com>wrote:

> Leave..... Sounds like you are in a situation where you will always be the
> excuse for your boss. You will never get the info you need and you will not
> be allowed to talk to the people who have the info you need. You either put
> up with it and end up having your healthy ruined by the stress, or you move
> on and look back wondering why you stayed so long.
>
> Al Geist-Geist Associates
> Technical Communication, Help, Documentation Management
> Mobile: 231-301-5770
> E-mail: al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com
> Website: www.geistassociates.com
> Blog: www.gooterscheltz.com
> Facebook: Geist Arts
>
> See Also:
> Geist Arts - Fine Art Photography - Exceptional Note Cards
> www.geistarts.com
>
> "...I walked to work, quit my job, and kept walking. Better to be a pilgrim
> without a destination, I figured, than to cross the wrong threshold each
> day." (Sy Safransky)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+al -dot- geist=geistassociates -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+al -dot- geist=geistassociates -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
> On
> Behalf Of Kari Gulbrandsen
> Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 8:49 PM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: need suggestions on handling a boss
>
> Hi all,
>
> I have a sticky situation, and I don't know how to handle it. I get along
> well with my boss, except when it comes to work deliverables. I never seem
> to be able to do what it is she wants. Half the time, I don't think I have
> enough information to do what it is she wants me to do.
>
> For example, today I was to write procedures for a process that I didn't
> really know except for one meeting that I attended. She said that I left
> out
> half the stuff that we talked about in the meeting, but she didn't tell me
> what it was that I left out, but that I was to give her another draft by
> tomorrow morning. She doesn't want me to talk to the people who do the
> process, because she doesn't want me to bother them -- they're busy. When I
> ask her questions about it, she told me to put in what I knew and she would
> fill in the gaps.
>
> Of course, I wasn't given the material to prep for the meeting, so a lot of
> what they talked about in the meeting went over my head.
>
> I have tried talking to her about this before, and she told me that I was
> argumentative. Or she just freaks out and then tells me to come to her if I
> have questions, that she knows the process. Well, she is so busy, that I
> can't get her to sit down with me. I mean, if she has to sit with me and go
> over it, she might as well write them herself.
>
> So now I have this major deliverable for tomorrow morning, and I don't know
> what or how I am supposed to put it together.
>
> I have written a lot of procedure docs before, but I always sat down with
> the person, or went through the steps to do it on my own. I feel like I am
> having to write it with being deaf and blind.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Kari.
>
> --
> Kari Kristine Gulbrandsen
> Reflective Editing | Enlightening Sciences
> http://ladykchronicles.blogspot.com/
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with
> Doc-To-Help.
> Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
> Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days.
> http://www.doctohelp.com
>
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as eddy -dot- skau -at- gmail -dot- com -dot- 
>
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> or visit
> http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/eddy.skau%40gmail.com
>
>
> To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
> http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and
> info.
>
> Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our online
> magazine at http://techwhirl.com
>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help.
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days.
http://www.doctohelp.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and info.

Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our online magazine at http://techwhirl.com