A functional boss-employee relationship starts with trust. But what if you simply don't have confidence in the person who holds control over your personal and financial future? Read on and learn how to handle some of the trickiest situations between you and your boss.
Q:
I joined a small start-up about a year ago, and at that time I had high hopes for both the company and my own career. I've invested heavily since then; I've stayed late, come in early, accepted a low salary, and let my boss call me while I was on vacation. I always kept the future in mind. But my boss isn't investing the same way I am. He's dead weight, and honestly, I don't think he knows what he's doing.
A:
You have three options:
1. You can get out
2. You can take over, at least partially, or
3. You can maneuver around your boss and reach out to others who may be able to mitigate his bad decisions.
Option one is the least risky. There are plenty of other jobs out there waiting for you. Option two will mean sitting down with your boss and working out a way to take on more responsibility for the company's direction. Handle this like a request for a promotion; you'll need to make the case that you're ready to take on greater challenges and expend your influence, and that it's in the company's best interest to let you do so. Option three means making contact with higher ups, company co-owners, and major investors. Once you have the attention of these people, you'll need to keep your communications and appeals diplomatic, but also direct.
Q:
I'm being set up to fail. My company foolishly signed a contract with a client for a project we simply don't have the resources to deliver. But now that my boss realizes that we won't be able to fulfill our promises, I think she's looking for a scapegoat who will take the blame when everything falls apart. If she blames me, I'll be fired and I'll leave in disgrace, but the company's reputation and future will stay intact. So I'm being given more work than I can handle and I'm being punished for things that aren't my fault. I'm a pawn and I know it. What now?
A:
First, take a breath and do the best you can with the responsibilities on your desk. Check every reasonable item off on your daily to-do list, and stay calm. Pace yourself, retain your dignity, and move fast without scrambling. In the meantime, start your search for another job, and start today. Before the day ends, reach out to a few of your contacts, search a few job boards, and update your resume. Company loyalty is great, but it has limits. You're looking at those limits right now.
Q:
My boss just told me to do something I'm pretty sure is wrong. It's a simple task: He just wants me to file a report under one heading instead of another. But I know that if I do this, the move will betray the trust of our clients, undermine the company's reputation, and may even allow some toxins to enter the local water supply. What should I do?
A:
The details of the situation will influence your response, but there are four things you should do regardless of those details:
1. Document this incident. Write down exactly what you asked to do, and include the date.
2. Talk to HR and explain the situation as clearly as you can.
3. Protect yourself from whatever might come next; this may mean quietly launching a search for another job.
4. Remember that you always bear full ethical responsibility for your own actions and their consequences. Boss or no boss, no person can make you do anything you know is wrong.
Q:
I joined a small start-up about a year ago, and at that time I had high hopes for both the company and my own career. I've invested heavily since then; I've stayed late, come in early, accepted a low salary, and let my boss call me while I was on vacation. I always kept the future in mind. But my boss isn't investing the same way I am. He's dead weight, and honestly, I don't think he knows what he's doing.
A:
You have three options:
1. You can get out
2. You can take over, at least partially, or
3. You can maneuver around your boss and reach out to others who may be able to mitigate his bad decisions.
Option one is the least risky. There are plenty of other jobs out there waiting for you. Option two will mean sitting down with your boss and working out a way to take on more responsibility for the company's direction. Handle this like a request for a promotion; you'll need to make the case that you're ready to take on greater challenges and expend your influence, and that it's in the company's best interest to let you do so. Option three means making contact with higher ups, company co-owners, and major investors. Once you have the attention of these people, you'll need to keep your communications and appeals diplomatic, but also direct.
Q:
I'm being set up to fail. My company foolishly signed a contract with a client for a project we simply don't have the resources to deliver. But now that my boss realizes that we won't be able to fulfill our promises, I think she's looking for a scapegoat who will take the blame when everything falls apart. If she blames me, I'll be fired and I'll leave in disgrace, but the company's reputation and future will stay intact. So I'm being given more work than I can handle and I'm being punished for things that aren't my fault. I'm a pawn and I know it. What now?
A:
First, take a breath and do the best you can with the responsibilities on your desk. Check every reasonable item off on your daily to-do list, and stay calm. Pace yourself, retain your dignity, and move fast without scrambling. In the meantime, start your search for another job, and start today. Before the day ends, reach out to a few of your contacts, search a few job boards, and update your resume. Company loyalty is great, but it has limits. You're looking at those limits right now.
Q:
My boss just told me to do something I'm pretty sure is wrong. It's a simple task: He just wants me to file a report under one heading instead of another. But I know that if I do this, the move will betray the trust of our clients, undermine the company's reputation, and may even allow some toxins to enter the local water supply. What should I do?
A:
The details of the situation will influence your response, but there are four things you should do regardless of those details:
1. Document this incident. Write down exactly what you asked to do, and include the date.
2. Talk to HR and explain the situation as clearly as you can.
3. Protect yourself from whatever might come next; this may mean quietly launching a search for another job.
4. Remember that you always bear full ethical responsibility for your own actions and their consequences. Boss or no boss, no person can make you do anything you know is wrong.
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