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Subject:RE: need suggestions on handling a boss From:Lynne Wright <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- tiburoninc -dot- com> To:Peter Neilson <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>, "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Wed, 7 Dec 2011 18:32:27 +0000
Yeah... given that this is a particularly whacked situation, you don't want to waste time that you could be using to find a better job by obsessing over documenting every little bit of crazy.
Nor do you want to provoke the boss and possibly create an image of yourself as a "troublemaker" to third parties by getting into a cc'ing power game.
As for getting the info you need to do your work: you could try asking the developers if they can make time to help you do your research. Then email your boss to say: "I can see that you are super busy; so I've lined up somebody who is willing to help me".
If she reacts badly, then you will have something in writing that demonstrates who the problem is. If she doesn't protest, then you will establish yourself as being somebody who is a big asset to her, because she will know that she can give you an assignment, back off and not worry, and count on you to deliver.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Peter Neilson
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 1:19 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: need suggestions on handling a boss
Elsewhere I knew of someone who decided to document every (contradictory)
order she was given. Memo to the boss, CC: self - "If I understand you
correctly, you would like me to do XXX."
She was immediately ordered to stop writing anything down.
Grab lifejacket, jump off ship.
Ultimate source is rules for when aboard ship. "Trust the captain and
trust the ship. If you cannot do that and feel you can do better than the
skipper, mutiny. If you cannot do that, jump overboard."
On Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:23:55 -0500, Wroblewski, Victoria
<vwroblewski -at- necsphere -dot- com> wrote:
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Of Steve Schwarzman
> Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 9:22 AM
> Subject: Re: need suggestions on handling a boss
>
>>>> ... it's hard for me to imagine how all that documenting is going to
>>>> help Kari. If her boss is gunning for her, chances are not in her
>>>> favor that some higher-up will want to read her dutiful documentation
>>>> of what her boss told her, and what she did, etc. etc. It's far more
>>>> likely, I think, that the upper boss will simply rely on what Kari's
>>>> boss says. In employee-said, manager-said situations, directors tend
>>>> to side with managers.
>>>>
>
> If nothing else, however the situation ends, you can know that you did
> your best to capture the situation. If they still side with the
> manager, well, be kinda glad you're out of that toxic workplace.
>
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