Seeking appreciation
I have been working for 10 years at this multinational company. My boss is 5 years older than me and has a very big name in the industry. I take my work very seriously and I am a very dedicated and hard working employee. Although my boss and I share a very cordial relationship and are professional, things aren’t exactly good between us. He almost always gives me work just before my leaving time and then I get held up for long. I hate this as I have plans to go for tennis after work. I have also noticed that when a client praises me in front of my boss, my boss does not look happy. In fact, his face falls like he does not like me being praised and doing good work. He has never praised me when my work is good but he will praise someone whose work is mediocre. These behaviours of his are not settling as I fear that he may fire me the first chance he gets. Please help me deal with this as I don’t know what to do.
Ans: You can think of leaving him before he leaves you, as you are skilled and have the necessary qualities that can help you get a nice job. Start seeking another job in which you will be appreciated and you get all the opportunities to climb the ladder in your career instead of waiting to please your boss. You will not be able not change your boss’s attitude and hoping that he will suddenly develop a soft corner for you will not be possible, so it is better that you bring the necessary changes instead of waiting for a miracle. You can either accept the way he treats you and deals with you at work or you can take a decision that will give you a fresh start. You need not spoil your relationship with him but just move away and be at peace, unless you want to give him a chance to explain as to why he behaves the way he does, however it may just be wise to just move on.
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Two faced behaviour
Two of my colleagues and I report to one boss. We have been working under him for a year now. As a team, we work gel well and don’t really have any problems while working on common projects. The only problem which is worrisome is that the third colleague waits back after hours and ‘pretends’ to work on a project. The boss sees him working late and feels that he is more dedicated and hard working than the rest of us. I do not agree with his as me and the other guys complete our work on time for the day instead of waiting back just to impress the boss. The boss is equally impressed with all of us. Recently, there have been rumours that the third guy is going to get a promotion and I have a feeling that this is due to the boss thinking that he is more hard working. If it is so, then I feel that it is unfair as our work has been nothing short of excellent. Please help me tackle this situation.
Ans: Comparing yourself with others is only a sign of self sabotage, and if you weigh your efforts in comparison to others it may undermine your own abilities, rather you need to do your best and leave the rest to your boss of how he wants to validate your work. There may not be an end to this unhealthy competition, it may long hours for now, later it can be something more irrelevant like number of leaves, or number of social contact, there is no stop to this, you must understand that you don’t have to see what the other employees are doing to gain your bosses attention, you must rather think how best can you be productive and a good employee to your boss, that’s all. Your boss knows the facts and can take a good decision in terms of which of his employees are worth the promotion, especially because he would be experienced as a boss, and he may not always judge an employee merely on the number of hours he is spending at work, it will be much more. So please avoid being envious, as you sow so shall you reap…
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Demonetisation woes
I am an owner of a garment business. My business was flourishing and I was able to give my loyal and dedicated employees their salary on time. Due to the new government policy, my business has suffered and money is tight. I am worried I won’t be able to pay my employees for their hard work due to demonetization and fear that I may soon have to shut down business. I want to warn my employees about the possibility that I may not be able to pay them their salary. But I don’t know how to go about doing this as it is a sensitive issue. I am also feeling very sad that I would be ruining their holiday to an extent. Please help me as I don’t know what to do.
Ans: Demonetization has affected everyone in the country and has taken a toll on a lot of businesses. Money has become an issue for everyone and people are accommodating and being tolerant towards each other as they all have the same problem. You can hold a meeting with your employees and explain the situation to them. This is a genuine reason and you aren’t holding back money from your employees. I’m sure your employees will understand and cooperate with you if you explain this to them. As a team, all of you can brainstorm ideas to help cope better with this situation.
