Frances Horibe's

The Dark Side of Work Revealed Work places have undercurrents which are never spoken of but which determine whether you are successful or how far you go. But these undercurrents are difficult to pick up, so to illustrate, here’s a work scenario to show you how they operate. Deciding holiday schedules The deal Your manager wants to discuss holiday scheduling. Thomas comes to your cubicle.   Thomas: This meeting at 2:00. I think Susie and the others are gonna snow us. YOU: Huh? Thomas: Because we’re the only two without partners— although I’m working it. Anyhow, Susie’ll suggest we do the Christmas to New Year shift. YOU: But I wanted to ski! Thomas: Exactly. We need time off even if we’re single. So, you’ll support me? YOU: Absolutely. The meeting Note: Ned is the boss, everyone else works for him. Ned: Okay, guys, who will staff December 26-31? Susie: Christmas is a family thing. I need to be with my kids. Thomas: You’re with them every day. Ned: Thomas, let Susie finish. Susie: And the kids are off so I have to be there. Edgar: Yeah, I want to spend time with my new grandchild. Thomas: But I want to…

What is Taking a Stand? In previous posts, I have discussed situations where taking a stand was an option. Whether it was trying to get a fair division of holidays (Intro), confronting a jerk boss (Power), refusing to maintain a lie (Lying), or trying to challenge groupthink (Groupthink), there can be times when you feel the need to speak up. Let’s do an example of what it might look like. What it looks like Amanda is your boss and you both work for an accounting firm. You are a Chartered Accountant as is she. Amanda comes into your office. Amanda: Ryan, I thought we discussed the Sanderson account. You: Yes, I know, but I just couldn’t find a way to not report the loss. Amanda: Oh, put it in a footnote, for god’s sake. You: I can’t do that! Amanda: Well do something. The client doesn’t want to highlight the loss. You: (a deep breath) Amanda, I know it’s important to please the client, but I just can’t do this. Amanda: Ryan, we’ve discussed your inflexibility before and I’ve had about all I can take. You: I’m sorry, Amanda, I’d like to accommodate the client, but I just can’t. Amanda:…

My Boss is Disrespectful In the last post, I outlined ways bosses can be jerks. This post will focus on those who are disrespectful. What it is This boss doesn’t get that treating his employees as human beings is not just good business (as it is) but a requirement of humanness. Instead he: Is always late for meetings Doesn’t read the work you did for the meeting Sends e-mails and texts all hours of night (and expects a prompt response) Changes his mind frequently and is unconcerned about the extra work caused Reprimands or corrects employees in public, sometimes loudly or even abusively Never, never says thank you What it looks like Your boss, Tony, has called you into his office. Tony: Didn’t you get my text? You: Yeah, I just read it. Tony: I sent it yesterday. I need you to hop to it. You: But you sent it after midnight. Tony: So? I’m still working even if you aren’t. You: Okay—I’ll get on it. What to do You want to yell, Just because you don’t have a personal life, doesn’t mean I don’t. Are you crazy? I get it. But not the most effective approach if being gainfully…

If the world were fair, you’d never have a jerk boss. They would all be evenhanded, encourage their staff to their full potential, and not be working out personal issues on the job. Right. Every once in a while, you get a great one. If you do, they are gold. Hang in there as long as you can and don’t take your luck for granted.

Leaving a Bad Job In previous posts, I have been talking about challenging a bad job’s ability to sap your confidence by taking a look at the assumptions you’ve made about why you stay. In this post, I want to talk about how to start the leaving process and getting into job search for a better job. The job search tactics which usually apply, apply in this case also. Dawn Rosenberg Kay has an excellent article on how to look for a job while still employed. However, I think there are special factors in a bad situation you need to pay attention to. Job hunting when leaving a bad job I’m sure I won’t cover all of them, but here are some things you need to be particularly aware of when trying to leave a bad job.   Lack of confidence. As I’ve mentioned, the worst thing a bad job does to you is attack your self-confidence. This may come out in various ways. You may undervalue what you can do and apply for jobs for which you are overqualified. Conversely, because you have lost a reliable way to assess your skills, you may overestimate your skills. What to do:…