I am sitting at my desk and I feel quite down and out today. The reason is yesterday my director decided it was a good day to yell and scream at me. My colleges and I are quite accustom to this since it happens often. We have even gotten to the point where we joke about who’s turn it is to get harped on for the day or sometimes we even end up with the whole week of getting verbally abused over the littlest things.

Yesterday was one of them days where I just couldn’t let it roll off my back. I have been working with our lab trying to certify 3 vendors 80211.b equipment for use in our network. Well it seems that one of the people that came to the testing reported to his boss that the equipment did not perform to specification. Sadly this is not the case the equipment did work and worked very well. However my load mouth Boston born and raised boss could not and would not hear a word I said. I finely got to the point that I interrupted him and said excuse me and walked out of his office slamming his door behind me.

Then after sitting at my desk for a number of hours being very pissed off I decide to send my Sr. VP an e-mail requesting a private meeting to discus the bozo’s actions. The big boss and I met and guess what he knows how much of a butt head he can be. He just has never herd that it happens almost every day to our group. Anyway he told me there isn’t much he can do but try and keep his eyes and ears open and go from there. I told the VP that in the 7 years I have worked for him I have never came to him and complained about anything so my word should be worth something, he agreed and the conversation was over.

Now after crying on everyone’s shoulder this is my question:

a) Should I have told the big boss that we can tell how bad the day is going to be by how hung over he looks, or was I correct in say that we could tell by his eyes and let the big boss figure out it is he has hangover’s?
b) Should I let the big boss see what he can do for a while or should I go to HR and file a complaint? Keep in mind that I feel real lucky that I have a job in this day and age.

Sorry for the long post but I just needed to vent a little and really didn’t know who to vent to.

 

Hey Odie,

Sorry to hear about your lousey day. I think we've all worked for somebody like that at one point or another. I would let your Sr. VP snoop around a little to see what's going on before doing anything else. As you mentioned, this is the first time that you've ever complained about the situation, so you need to give him the opportunity to solve the problem. If you don't see any improvement in a reasonable length of time, then file a complaint to HR. Just remember, HR is there to protect the company (management), not the employee so there may be some backlash towards you. (my experience as long time manager and very involved with HR over the years) A lot depends on your corporate culture. In the company where I work, the tendency is to "shoot the messenger."

Good luck!

 

As we've restructured here about, oh, 6 times in 3 years it's been interesting. But I smile and make a game of it.

I don't know the details of what you do, but I rather enjoy stuff like sending in a reports that say...

"I found option A to be viable, however, my director Mr. Whoever informed me I should not approve this plan. So against my findings I currently can not approve this line of action..."

You get the idea, pretty darn funny when Mr. Whoever starts getting phone calls about why etc...

Another cool trick, whenever I reply or start an email thread, I make sure I include more "authoritative" folks in the list... I've actually had people not pay attention and start being jerks for everyone to see.

I recently had a floor space issue for my department, I was told by Mr. X we didn't need more floor space... so I said OK and started stacking stuff 3 high. It then took me 4 hours to get a spec. manual I should have pulled in 5 minutes, I took my lunch break during so 5 hours. When I was chided for being slow I sent a picture of the office space with a note saying... When I inquired about more floor space 3 months ago Mr. X declined it, under the circumstances I'm doing the best I can. Since we can't afford more floor space, would it be possible to approve a lumber purchase from Home Depot, I could build racks that would at least keep me from having to unstack entire skids to get to the bottom one.

Notice the "can't afford" :-) We take on another 2500 sqft June 1. :-)

So, chill and see where you can have some fun with it.

Robert

 

I think this will result in you being stabbed in the back, eventually. Bosses like other bosses, and you are a "peon" in their eyes. I hope I'm wrong, but I try to be real.

 

If your Sr. Vice president is the kind of guy who does his homework and "asks around", I'm sure he will see for himself. If he's not then it may be time for some of your co-workers who are in the same boat to go and see him in private as well. Multiple complaints will usually get better (or quicker) results.

 

I was in a similar situation a few years ago.
I think you are justified in your actions. But I would be patient and wait before doing anything else. People don't like whiners, even if they are truly victims. People admire "tough" people who will let some stuff just roll off their backs. I'm not suggesting that you make a door mat of yourself, just wait.

I don't know your religious background, but here's where I come from, and how I have handled similar problems: In the King James Bible, there is a message from God which states "Vengence is mine, I will repay". Some of us may quote the first half of that statement, and say thate God is simply saying we don't have the right to take revenge. This is correct. We don't. But the second part is also just as important, God says he will repay. He doesn't say when, but in my life I have seen his repayment, and it is not pleasant. However, we are still not to rejoice over someone else's misfortune.

Just to summarize this babble (mine), once we realize that as long as we are right, and don't do anything wrong or negative to get even, we will be avenged, the wrong-doer will suffer the most. Therefore, my attitude is to "feel sorry" for the guy.

Examples: My dad worked civil service fire and rescue for the Air Force (Tyndall AFB 1950 - 1974). In about 1970, he was station captain, and ordered a slight change in procedure to accomodate the General's requirement that "no fire trucks to be running nearby when he was doing his troop inspection on the runway". Unfortunately, a medivac flight came in while the inspection was underway. Procedures required a fire truck to always "follow" the landing aircraft during a medivac. So the fire truck had to go screaming by while the general (base commander) was showing his authority. He was so disturbed, he called an investigation and releaved my dad from duty.
I generally don't support organized labor, but in this case they were a big help. My dad filed a complaint, as did all the other firemen, including the military ones. After the investigation was over, my dad was re-instated, the General was re-assigned to another AFB. Some few months later - the general was flying his jet to keep hours in his log when a bolt of lightning struck his plane, causing it to crash and kill him.


More personal: I had an arrogant boss who would change things that were my responsiblity and lie about it. After several high-stress incidents, I went to his boss, who was a reasonable person, yet a good friend of my boss (the middle guy). He expressed his support for me and my situtation, but gave the same answer you got - not much he could do. So I bit my tongue for awhile. As time went on it got worse, so I went to the VP, and instead of complaining, asked if there was another job I could do in the department. He told me of a pending opening, and suggested I apply for it. I did, and I got it. I have never been happier. As a result of the arrogant bosses' attitude, he got himself cut from the payroll during a reorganization of the company. I have worked for this compay for 21 years. In that time I have had 2 boses which "gave me no respect". Neither of them work here anymore.
I am truly sorry for them, and hope they get their problems worked out.

Winford

 

 

I went through something similar a few years ago. We had a supervisor who ordered us to do several things unsafly. We kept a written record of the time and date and incedent, who was around to see and hear him. After three weeks we went to his boss and handed him our lists. We never worked with him after that day.

 

I solved the boss problem several years ago by retiring, but I was also very luckey to have worked for some real pros that I really admired and respected. The few that didn't give me my due, I simply worked hard and outlasted them. Winford is right on. Hang in there.
Dono