Nataly 38 #1 May 5, 2009 Ok.. A slightly delicate one here, but would be grateful for some tips.. I started a new job a couple of weeks ago. The people I am working with are really fantastic First of all, I accepted the new role (within the same business) with the caveat that I am taking exams on 19/20 May and that the new job must not interfere with my studying. I should state that my boss is pretty young and has never managed people before. He's a lovely guy, but has difficulty in letting me get on with my work and/or allowing me to leave at a reasonable time so I can get a couple of hours of studying every night.. I think the underlying problem is that -my predecessor left the role in a bit of a mess -my boss is new & under a LOT of pressure -he doesn't understand my role and is worried something will go wrong so every time I do something he wants to go through it all over again with me (from scratch ) -this is the *most* critical time of the year from a business point of view I can understand why he would want to micro-manage and why he wants me to stay late, but if I fail these exams it sets me back 6 months and costs me lots of money and time and quite frankly if I have to re-take them for a FOURTH time I might just jump off the roof... I have talked to him, and he really cares & means well, but at the same time still puts pressure on me day-to-day to do more than what I can deliver at this stage.. I don't want to undermine him or cross the line in any way, but does anyone have ideas of how I could encourage him to ease off a bit for the next couple of weeks?"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
millertime24 8 #2 May 5, 2009 Simply look him in the eye and say "I dont know if you know this or not, but I'm kind of a big deal".Muff #5048 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #3 May 5, 2009 Quote Simply look him in the eye and say "I dont know if you know this or not, but I'm kind of a big deal". No need to be mean.. I know business needs often come before individual needs, but my exams are very important to me, which is why one of my conditions to accepting the new job was that for then next 2 weeks I had to be able to leave "early" (ie: business hours are officially over at 5pm, and I need to leave by at least 7pm). I want to be reasonable in all of this and I'm looking for advice on how I could meet my own needs without being out of line."There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydemon2 0 #4 May 6, 2009 Did you get this agreement in writing? Either way if the agreement was a known issue let him know you expect the company and him to abide by the agreement. Tell him you understand company comes first but these tests are important to you and you need the time for the next few weeks. Let him know you are coming to him because he is your boss and you expect him to follow the agreement, that you are giving him the opportunity to resolve this before you take it to the next level. Since I dont know the labor laws over there I cant really comment on the overtime.Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone! I like to start my day off with a little Ray of Soulshine™!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy0689 0 #5 May 6, 2009 Why not sit down and talk with him about what's going on? He may not realize what a pain he's being because he's so stressed out. It's making him forget that others have priorities besides work as well. Explain to him the conditions under which you accepted the position and how you need to study. Is the test work-related? If so, explain how successfully passing them will help with work and how after you're done you'll be able to really focus on work and his priorities. If he still won't listen, burn some vacation hours and he'll quickly realize that it's better to have you around for a few hours a day than not at all.Andy I'll believe it when I see it on YouTube! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #6 May 6, 2009 Quote Is the test work-related? If so, explain how successfully passing them will help with work and how after you're done you'll be able to really focus on work and his priorities. If he still won't listen, burn some vacation hours and he'll quickly realize that it's better to have you around for a few hours a day than not at all. They are work related.. In fact, it's pretty much necessary in my line of work - otherwise there's no WAY I would be subjecting myself to this torture!! But I need the exams to progress my career - it doesn't help in my current role (not directly, anyway). I may have to go down the holiday route, because I've already talked to him.. Like I said: he has listened and promised to "let me" leave at a decent hour, but then something always comes up.. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baksteen 84 #7 May 6, 2009 Quote Ok.. A slightly delicate one here, but would be grateful for some tips.. I started a new job a couple of weeks ago. The people I am working with are really fantastic First of all, I accepted the new role (within the same business) with the caveat that I am taking exams on 19/20 May and that the new job must not interfere with my studying. I should state that my boss is pretty young and has never managed people before. He's a lovely guy, but has difficulty in letting me get on with my work and/or allowing me to leave at a reasonable time so I can get a couple of hours of studying every night.. I think the underlying problem is that -my predecessor left the role in a bit of a mess -my boss is new & under a LOT of pressure -he doesn't understand my role and is worried something will go wrong so every time I do something he wants to go through it all over again with me (from scratch ) -this is the *most* critical time of the year from a business point of view I can understand why he would want to micro-manage and why he wants me to stay late, but if I fail these exams it sets me back 6 months and costs me lots of money and time and quite frankly if I have to re-take them for a FOURTH time I might just jump off the roof... I have talked to him, and he really cares & means well, but at the same time still puts pressure on me day-to-day to do more than what I can deliver at this stage.. I don't want to undermine him or cross the line in any way, but does anyone have ideas of how I could encourage him to ease off a bit for the next couple of weeks? I'm very lucky with my current boss - he listens. But I've had quite a few jobs over the years and not all of them were so understanding..you don't become a professor of microbiology for having excellent social skills - at least, in a way you do, but not necessarily towards your employees The direct approach perhaps? One of my previous bosses was angry at me for leaving at 4.30 pm while they came looking for me at 4.45 pm. According to them, "Leaving that early cannot be the intention of this job". I looked them in the eye and after counting to ten I explained that I usually started work at 8 AM. They turned red and said that they "couldn't be expected to keep tabs on at what time everyone started work". I'm thinking to myself that while that may be the case, they sure as hell are keeping tabs on when I leave and decided to remember that for future arguments, but the matter never came up again. Or when I get/got too much on my plate - I work(ed) like hell to get it all done (in order of priority) but I keep to a reasonable schedule. The rest simply gets moved along the timeline. Friday at 6 pm I tell anyone who needs something extra done that 'Monday you'll be the first one I'll help". The sneaky approach? In work meetings throughout my career some ex-bosses sometimes had these "interesting ideas" which had one common denominator: Anyone who is 'current' in the lab just knows it wouldn't work. Theoretical and practical understanding/experience of a technique isn't necessarily the same thing. I used to simply do what they wanted knowing it would fail and seek a solution while the experiment was running. Next work meeting I'd manipulate the conversation into my boss coming up with the solution I had thought of. I implemented the technique as I saw fit after all and my boss was happy with their knowledge. Not ideal, but it worked"That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beerlight 0 #8 May 6, 2009 QuoteSimply look him in the eye and say "I dont know if you know this or not, but I'm kind of a big deal". +1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airathanas 0 #9 May 6, 2009 Quote Like I said: he has listened and promised to "let me" leave at a decent hour, but then something always comes up.. So arriving at work earlier is not an option- or studying in the morning before work is not an option either?http://3ringnecklace.com/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Misternatural 0 #10 May 6, 2009 Well if you didn't spend so much time as a freelance cocktologist maybe you could get some work done. oh sorry- y- you're here for non sarcastic advice aren't you Beware of the collateralizing and monetization of your desires. D S #3.1415 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #11 May 6, 2009 Quote Quote Like I said: he has listened and promised to "let me" leave at a decent hour, but then something always comes up.. So arriving at work earlier is not an option- or studying in the morning before work is not an option either? I start work at 7.. It's that kind of culture.. Most people are already in the office and don't leave until 9pm.. A lot of work has to be done first thing to set timelines, so it's not exactly an option, unfortunately "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #12 May 6, 2009 Quote Well if you didn't spend so much time as a freelance cocktologist maybe you could get some work done. oh sorry- y- you're here for non sarcastic advice aren't you All I can say to that is that I only post on DZ.com *after* I'm finished my studying for the day.. Monday was a bit of an unusual one because it was a holiday in the UK.. After 5 solid hours of studying, I felt perfectly entitled to spending the rest of my day unwinding with a naughty thread!!! Anyway, you're just jealous that the rack thread has died down "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Misternatural 0 #13 May 6, 2009 >you're just jealous that the rack thread has died down Just because you have a crush on me but you're frustrated that you live so far away you don't have to be mean. Beware of the collateralizing and monetization of your desires. D S #3.1415 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #14 May 6, 2009 Quote >you're just jealous that the rack thread has died down Just because you have a crush on me but you're frustrated that you live so far away you don't have to be mean. Sorry.. Didn't mean to rub it in But you have to admit that we're *WINNING*!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Misternatural 0 #15 May 6, 2009 >Sorry.. Didn't mean to rub it in But you have to admit that we're *WINNING*!!! So is this how you are at work? hoo boueyi can see that you're going to be a problem for me here Beware of the collateralizing and monetization of your desires. D S #3.1415 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
