"New Boss You Think You Don't Like? Well, Think Again!"
The Business of Furniture - 7/26/17 Edition
Stephen Says Column
Dear Stephen:
I have been in the same job for the last eight years. I love it, and my relationship with my boss has been a big reason that I like it so much. Last week, though, seemingly out the blue my boss got a promotion. Everyone in my division was thrilled for her, but the change has been a little tough. None of us were given the chance to interview for the opening created by my boss’s promotion, and they told us about the new person they were bringing in at the same meeting they told us she was moving up.
They decided to hire someone from outside the company, who was running the same type of department as ours at a competitor. This new person knows the job and seems like she’ll be good for the department, but it is just different management style.
With our old supervisor, we had built up a rapport and she trusted us. If we were late for a meeting, she understood. If it took us a minute to respond to an email, she knew that we would get to it as soon as we could.
Now, we need to be precisely on schedule and cannot miss a single meeting. The truth is that some employees in our department had been slacking off and taking advantage of our boss and this new boss will put an end to that. Still, I felt like I had a personal relationship with my old supervisor and that she knew me as a person and an employee.
I am now starting from scratch with a stranger and I do not like it! It feels a bit like separation anxiety! Again, I think this new woman will be good at her job and I think it will settle down, but my issue now is really more personal than professional. Any suggestions on how to get used to a new boss?
Missing My Maestro
Dear Missing:
It sounds like you already know the answer: give it some time and if you don’t like to work up to speed, then quit and find a new job (find the new job first, of course). But then you will have a new boss anyway, so what are you really accomplishing? And so, the first step is very important!
I know transitions at work can be hard, but this is an opportunity. You said yourself that this new boss is getting the department in shape, so use this change as an opportunity to bolster yourself in your company’s eyes.
Get to know the new boss and figure out her expectations, then do your job the right way and make yourself indispensable. It sounds like some people in the department were just doing what was required of them and nothing more, taking advantage of a long-time boss who may have also become a friend. Maybe that is why your boss was promoted--it is usually the mediocre bosses that move up. You know the drill. But now your new boss is trying to make you better, not just keep everything the same. You should be happy. And if you’re as good an employee as you seem to think you are, you should become your boss’s go-to person. There is nothing wrong with being a bit of a brown-noser. I know you were in a different place before, but really your boss shouldn’t be your friend, they should be your boss! (I also write about becoming indispensable to your new boss at more length in my Harper Collins bestseller Bulletproof Your Job, which you can buy or read online for free!)
It also sounds like there are a number of people in the office who seem to share your disappointment with this woman. The worst thing you can do, however, is go along with the mob mentality of complaining about the new boss. Big mistake! I know that these co-workers might be your friends, but you need to do everything in your power to be on your boss’s team. It will serve you better--especially if she hasn’t done anything but try to improve the department!
Over a decade at any job, bosses will come and go. It is a shame that you were not asked to interview for the role, but the job will open up again--I promise--and if you want to be in a position to become the boss, you better get on this new lady’s good side. If, after a couple of months, you’re miserable in your job that you loved so much before, then it might be time to start looking for something new. I’ll warn you, though, that if you’re going from job to job looking for a boss who will also be your best friend, you’ll be wondering around like a vagabond taking the train through the dust bowl.
Your boss should have more important priorities than being your friend, and you should have better standards in choosing a job than whether or not you and your boss will hang out on the weekend. We all want to think of our bosses as our friends, it’s like having a “cool mom.” But guess what? They are the boss before they are your friend, like your mom is your mom, whether she is cool or not!
Stephen
You can send your workplace questions to Stephen at: StephenSays@bellow.press.
Questions selected to be answered, will appear in this column. Please use the Subject: Stephen Says for all emails. Stephen Viscusi is a bestselling author, television personality, and CEO of The Viscusi Group, global executive recruiters located in New York. Follow Stephen on Twitter @WorkplaceGuru, Like Stephen on Facebook; and follow him on LinkedIn.
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