Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & DALE: I work for a small company. The owner seemed cool when I got hired, but I’ve come to think he’s a scatterbrain. He’ll start a project one day and completely change gears the next. People in the office say he’s a genius, but I’m not seeing it. Most everyone here has been around at least a couple of years and they seem content, but I can’t work for someone I don’t respect. However, this is my first job out of school, so I’d like your opinions – jump now, or wait? – Evan
DALE: As you gain more experience, you’ll learn that there are hundreds of ways to be an offensive, annoying or irritating boss, and that 80 or 90 percent of those are worse than being scatterbrained. On the other hand, what you want in a boss isn’t just the absence of negative traits; you want an environment where you can learn and grow. J.T.: Which makes me wonder what other employees see that you don’t, Evan. DALE: Find out. Ask your co-workers what makes him a genius, what they like best about him, and how they compare him to others they’ve worked for. Just make sure you do it in a nonjudgmental, “I’m here to learn” way. Do not knock the boss to those who revere him. The last thing you want is for the other employees to believe that you are unhappy or disrespectful; that will merely make you Dead Career Walking. They won’t want you on their projects or teams, because they’ll suspect that you will be leaving. J.T.: To sum up, this is a problem of expectations. Small businesses are, by their nature, constantly changing as they adapt to stay in business. So I’d urge you to hang in there awhile and see what you can learn. Don’t jump until you are certain that you know what you want from a culture and where you can find it. Dear J.T. & Dale: I hate dressing up. Our office is casual and I take advantage of it. Recently, I set up a meeting with my boss to find out what I would need to do to get a raise. I was shocked to hear her say that I didn’t give the outward appearance of wanting to advance. When I asked why, she said my attire indicated I wanted to show up, do my work and leave. Why have a casual dress-code policy if we can’t use it? – Tiffany J.T.: One of my favorite sayings comes from Doris Day: “People hear what they see.” When it comes to your career, this definitely is true. Just because there’s a casual dress policy doesn’t mean you should embrace it. Look closely at who is getting promoted in your company and see how they dress and act. DALE: But here’s the good news, Tiffany: Your boss was willing to sit down with you and offer you her advice. Instead of getting steamed about her answer, I’d say you should have asked a better question. Instead of asking about a raise, ask how to get better at your job and how to be the kind of star employee who gets promoted. Going forward, I think her advice to you – that you look like a slacker – hints at something beyond just appearance. I have a hunch that she sees you as one of the ALAP people – As Little As Possible. It’s like in school, how there were those students who just wanted to do enough to pass the class, as opposed to those eager to learn all they could. If you want to do the minimum to get by, you rate the minimum pay.
