And not the good kind either.

My boss has this REALLY, SUPER annoying habit of not telling me everything or giving me bits and pieces of info. Sometimes telling me he'll get back to me, other times just leaving it. Not a question mind you. Just pieces of info.

Then at some point down the road, something is due. This something is related to the bit or piece of info he gave me. But its not his problem. Its MY fault b/c i didn't GUESS what he wanted and follow up with him to get this particular project done in time.

I am SO tired of this crap. </rant>

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2008 04:28PM by bazookaman.

It's OK grasshopper, you simply must learn to play his game better. IF you can't do that, then he will win everytime . . .

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Bill
Flagler Beach, FL 32136

Carpe Vino!

Fermentation may have been a greater discovery than fire.
— David Rains Wallace

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WHiiP
It's OK grasshopper, you simply must learn to play his game better. IF you can't do that, then he will win everytime . . .

That's what I was going to say... How long have you been in this relationship? If you haven't figured out how he plays, and how to anticipate his next move yet, better do it quick. Be ready for him. I have a similar boss, and it takes me lots more work to anticipate/plan for his reactions to my work than I would like to admit. Just learn to work with/around it.

By the way, does he have any superiors? Is this behavior obvious to them? My boss has the actual business owners that he's accountable to. They are very aware of his short comings, and are coming to me for more and more info/input on how I'm doing my job. I can actually see it, he must not.

Jeff

You just have to ask more questions before starting the project. YOU have to anticipate his short fall EACH time, or suffer EACH time.

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Ed (modelamac)

I think I will just put an OUT OF ORDER
sticker on my head and call it a day.

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kj4btkljv
By the way, does he have any superiors? Is this behavior obvious to them?

yes. but it doesn't matter b/c the person who ultimately fails is me. i'm just tired of it.

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WHAT!? You don't read minds!?

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Um, I used to have a boss like that. Sad to leave the job; glad to leave HIM!
A good friend is now having one like that now.

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SoCal for now.

that's why I force my boss to send email when he has something important to say. he's changed his mind several times about assignment or he "misunderstood" the results (and the CEO knows about this) and now we have a mutual agreement that if it is important, then it has to be written down (email). Both ways.

I never delete a work related email. I have archives going back to 2000.

how is that proverb in Latin: verba volant, scripta manent

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MacGurl
WHAT!? You don't read minds!?

Thats exactly right. I mean sometimes i can guess b/c he provides me some pertinent info. But more times that not, its so vague, NO ONE would make the assumption that there is any need for followup. So thats right. I need to be able to read his mind

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I think there is something inherently wrong with many people who seek management positions. May you find solace in the insightful comedy of Dilbert.

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Le poète doit vivre beaucoup, vivre dans tous les sens. - Verlaine

A robust specification and signoff procedure will give you much peace of posterior (called CYA). I had a boss like that- bastich almost got me canned. He moved on, and the company he moved to ain't doing so good. I hope the weasel gets laid off and has to live under a bridge.

Hmmm.. thinking sweet karma...

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space-time
that's why I force my boss to send email when he has something important to say. he's changed his mind several times about assignment or he "misunderstood" the results (and the CEO knows about this) and now we have a mutual agreement that if it is important, then it has to be written down (email). Both ways.

I never delete a work related email. I have archives going back to 2000.

That is a good idea. I jerked a boss around once because he did not write things down. I told him I was doing something when I didn't. I did nothing because there was nothing written down but he reported to his boss the a big change was made. He got his butt chewed big time and scampered back and told me to change things back. I told him I never made the change because I knew it was wrong and he did not put it in writing. He blew up and I had to suffer for about two months, but he never did it again.

You might want to do it a little differently.

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In tha 360. MRF User Map

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Filliam H. Muffman
You might want to do it a little differently.

maybe i should just kick him in the nuts.

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Is that bazooka just for show?

EDIT: I was in no way instigating violence in the workplace. Just trying to lighten you up. Don't blow anyone up!

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2008 09:20PM by karsen.

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bazookaman
maybe i should just kick him in the nuts.

Well, you could......

It's very unpleasant to have a boss like that.

Document everything you can; people like him thrive on uncertainty about what really happened. Do you think it might help if you were very direct with him the next time he blames you for something that is not your fault? If you were able to quietly and firmly remind him of his contribution to the problem, maybe he would start to take some responsibility for making it better. Of course, the hard part is separating his absolutely unfair behavior from how you react to him. Good luck!

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Ammo
Document everything you can

Yep, that's the way to go. Sounds like his boss doesn't document anything. Doesn't mean b-man shouldn't. Send e-mails detailing your understanding of the assignment and copy other people on it. Leave no uncertainty.

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modelamac
You just have to ask more questions before starting the project. YOU have to anticipate his short fall EACH time, or suffer EACH time.

Oh yes. I constantly have to drag critical details from clients and co workers about projects. My most important phrase is "Who needs what when?"

Do you hear " Jeezo, you want me to do it for you too ? " a lot ?

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cbelt3
A robust specification and signoff procedure will give you much peace of posterior (called CYA). I had a boss like that- bastich almost got me canned. He moved on, and the company he moved to ain't doing so good. I hope the weasel gets laid off and has to live under a bridge.

Hmmm.. thinking sweet karma...

Same here. Made sure the daily reports had to be read AND initialed. If given a vague requirement I would send back an equally vague answer that ended with "...waiting for your input for further planning / clarification..." Project bounced, his boss came to me and expressed his displeasure with the vague planning...at which point I gave him the work I had done and the requests for more information, which all had these nice initials and dates that the manager had read them. Big boss thanked me and proceeded to satisfy his hunger on the glutimus maxiumus of the manager. The best thing was he tried to pin it on me. That he had given me very specific instructions and that I had failed to get back with him....the Big Boss waived the printed reports at him and told him he was being reassignned to supply....ahhh....sweet. That particular "big boss" was one of the best officers I ever served under. He would lay out the end result, ask for our budgets and working plans, evaluate them (sometimes with changes) and tell us to handle it. He constantly told us his job was to keep higher-higher off of us so we could do our job and that our job was to do what needed to be done to get the boats on the water...period.

On a postscript....I now run a company and make dang sure we document EVERYTHING and any changes made by the customer have to be submitted to us in writing. Sort of a reverse of the above...saved our butts many times.

Jay