Do you ever feel like you’re going it alone on the choppy corporate seas? Feel like you really don’t have a strong support system of people who are there to look out for your best interests? No cadre of colleagues who are there to lend an ear or a hand?
If you are like most employees, you probably do feel this way from time to time. But what if you find yourself in an even worse situation of non-support? What if it seems to you that not only do you not have a support team, but you don’t even have support from the one person you need it from the most – your boss?!?
I recently received an email from Sue, a fellow Wiz-dom subscriber, who is faced with this very difficult workplace issue – Sue’s boss does not support her. Sue’s sad story not only detailed examples of her bosses non-support but showed evidence of absolute undermining by the boss. Yikes!
Oh her boss says she supports Sue’s supervisory decisions…. “Sure Sue – I understand that you had to reprimand Sally.” But then, as soon as Sue turns her back, Ms. Boss tells Sally not to worry about the reprimand. How bad is that?
So what can Sue do? Quit? Complain to Ms. Boss’ boss? Put up with it? Have a nervous breakdown? Or is it possible that she can gain Ms. Boss’s complete support?
Fixing a sticky work situation like this is never a sure thing, but it’s certainly worth a shot. I mean why resort to quitting if you haven’t even tried to make things work? Wondering how you even try to make things work? First you start by taking responsibility for the problem. You want it to be resolved, right? Then it’s up to you to make it happen. Don’t expect your version of the un-supportive boss to suddenly realize that she isn’t supporting you. It’s probably not going to happen. And it’s not up to you to tell her either.
How do you think she’d react if you walked into her office one day and said “Ms. Boss – I don’t think you support me enough?” It wouldn’t be pretty.
Instead, take it upon yourself to try to become the employee that Ms. Boss goes out of her way to support because she wants to. But first you’re going to need to find out what that means to her. What would you have to do in order to make your boss value you enough to support you?
A good way to start is to get clarity from your boss about what she values in an employee. This information can be partially gleaned from really listening and observing your boss in action. What are the activities, characteristics and responsibilities your boss seems to value most. You can gain more information by having a talk with your boss. Inform her you’d like to meet to discuss your role and to make sure that you are clear about her expectations of you. Take your job description (which may need updating anyway) to the meeting and find out what it is about your job that she thinks is most important. Make sure that you have a clear understanding of what she considers to be the essential functions of your position. Perform those functions like a star and you’re on your way to support-city!!
Unclear expectations and role definition is often the cause for this whole non-support issue. You’d think that these bosses would wise up and tell their employees what they value and what they don’t. I mean that only helps them in their efforts to create an effective department, right? But that doesn’t happen as often as it should. Therefore, employees are left to perform duties in a manner that they think they should, but the boss really doesn’t value what they are doing.
So go to your boss and let her know that you want to do a good job and are willing to do what it takes to gain her confidence, trust and support. Tell her that you want to be the employee that she doesn’t have to worry about. Put it on yourself – take responsibility!! And I cannot stress enough – don’t say – “hey you aren’t supporting me.” It’s never star-like to put your boss on the defensive!
Now go out there and be a STAR!!
Molly Luffy, MBA, owner of Work Ethic Wizard, dedicated to helping managers regain their sanity and employees survive and thrive in todays corporation. Author of Super-Charge Your Promotion Quotient: 225 Success Strategies for the New Professional. http://www.workethicwizard.com/default.cfm
