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Can You Manage Your Boss?Can You Manage Your Boss?Can You Manage Your Boss?Can You Manage Your Boss?

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INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

SuccessfulSuccessful managersmanagers developdevelop relationshipsrelationshipswithwith everyoneeveryone theythey dependdepend onon includingincluding

thethe bossboss

TheThe relationshiprelationship withwith youryour bossboss isis probablyprobably

thethe mostmost importantimportant relationshiprelationship youyou havehave atat

workwork..

BossBoss managementmanagement cancan stimulatestimulate betterbetter

performance,performance, improveimprove youryour workingworking life,life, jobjobsatisfaction,satisfaction, andand workloadworkload.. GiveGive youryour bossboss aa

handhand andand reapreap thethe rewardsrewards..

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WhenWhen wewe thinkthink ofof managingmanaging someone,someone,

wewe usuallyusually thinkthink ofof managingmanaging ourour teamteam

membersmembers oror subordinatessubordinates..

TheirTheir argumentargument waswas thatthat inin modernmodern

companies,companies, subordinatessubordinates areare notnot solelysolely

dependentdependent onon theirtheir bosses,bosses, butbut thatthattoday'stoday's complexitycomplexity requiresrequires

interdependenceinterdependence:: thethe bossboss needsneeds herher

teamteam asas wellwell..

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CASECASE

LarryLarry FrankenmuthFrankenmuth waswas workingworking underunderPetePete WebsterWebster forfor thethe pastpast fourfour yearsyears

TheThe workwork itselfitself waswas finefinehehe waswas inin

chargecharge ofof thethe companyscompanys fourfour metalmetalworkingworking plantsplants.. HeHe knewknew howhow toto dodo thethe

workwork.. HeHe likedliked toto dodo thethe workwork inin thatthat

company,company, andand hehe waswas suresure hehe diddid aagoodgood jobjob therethere..

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HisHis subordinatessubordinates werewere reallyreally

hardworkinghardworking.. EachEach oneone ofof thethe plantplant managersmanagers werewere

firstfirst rate,rate, theythey werewere easyeasy toto workwork with,with,

everyoneeveryone werewere competent,competent, onon toptop ofoftheirtheir jobjob..

TheThe companycompany waswas performingperforming wellwell andand

thethe paypay packpack waswas reallyreally goodgood..

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ButBut PetePete WebsterWebster waswas reallyreally aa painpain toto

LarryLarry..

HeHe nevernever usedused anan encouragingencouraging wordword,,

onlyonly gruntsgrunts andand criticismcriticism..

LarryLarry slavedslaved onon thethe memorandamemoranda andand

reportsreports hehe sentsent upup toto WebstersWebsters officeoffice

andand thenthen hehe nevernever heardheard anythinganything aboutabout

themthem..

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TheThe bossboss withwith whomwhom hehe workedworked withwith havehave

drilleddrilled inin himhim thatthat hehe shouldshould meetmeet himhim inin thethe

morningmorning asas soonsoon asas hehe reachesreaches thethe officeofficeandand asas aa resultresult hehe alwaysalways mademade suresure toto bebe

inin WebstersWebsters officeoffice inin thethe morningmorning oror toto callcall

himhim atat 88..3030 sharpsharp.. ButBut WebsterWebster waswas aapersonperson whowho didn'tdidn't likelike thatthat..

HeHe waswas aa personperson whowho likeslikes toto getget

informationinformation throughthrough grapevinegrapevine butbut whenwhen

LarryLarry comescomes toto inform,inform, hehe usedused toto growlgrowl atat

himhim..

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ButBut thethe worstworst thingthing aboutabout WebsterWebster waswas hishis

appallingappalling illiteracyilliteracy..

LarryLarry FrankenmuthFrankenmuth waswas withwith aa BABA andand anan MAMAinin mechanicalmechanical engineeringengineering fromfrom MITMIT andand asas

addadd--onsons hehe attendedattended allall thethe coursescourses hehe couldcould

getget inin modernmodern management,management, inin modernmodernproduction,production, inin operationsoperations research,research, andand inin

quantitativequantitative methodsmethods..

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WebsterWebster waswas aa bossboss whowho hadnthadnt finishedfinished eveneven

highhigh schoolschool..

WebsterWebster hadhad gonegone intointo thethe armyarmy atat thethe endend ofofhishis juniorjunior yearyear inin highhigh schoolschool andand thenthen startedstarted

asas aa machinistmachinist whenwhen hehe camecame backback fromfrom thethe

serviceservice andand hehe waswas aa personperson whowho reachedreached thethe

currentcurrent positionposition ofof VPVP throughthrough hishis hardhard workwork

andand promotionspromotions..

SoSo hehe couldntcouldnt dodo longlong divisiondivision andand couldn'tcouldn't

eveneven followfollow thethe simplestsimplest regressionregression analysisanalysis..

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SoSo LarryLarry FrankenmuthFrankenmuth decideddecided toto leaveleave..

On

On aa finefine

Sunday

Sunday eveningevening whilewhile hehe waswasworkingworking atat homehome whenwhen onon aa carefulcareful

studystudy ofof orderorder patternspatterns andand productionproduction

schedulesschedules thatthat addedadded upup toto aa

recommendationrecommendation toto changechange productionproductionscheduling,scheduling, inventoryinventory control,control, andand

shippingshipping schedulesschedules forfor allall fourfour plantsplants ofof

thethe metalworkingmetalworking divisiondivision..

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HeHe feltfelt veryvery goodgood aboutabout thatthat particularparticular

analysisanalysis thatthat hehe mademade

ButBut asas hehe waswas puttingputting thethe pagespages

togethertogether forfor thethe followingfollowing morning,morning, hehe

suddenlysuddenly realizedrealized thatthat therethere waswas

absolutelyabsolutely nono pointpoint inin showingshowing thethe workworktoto WebsterWebster.. BecauseBecause hehe isis aa personperson

whowho isis resistantresistant towardstowards changechange andand

LarryLarry waswas suresure thatthat hehe wontwont eveneven readreadthethe reportreport..

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AndAnd soso withoutwithout eveneven tellingtelling hishis wife,wife, Lois,Lois,

hehe setset aboutabout findingfinding anotheranother jobjob.. TheThe newnew jobjob waswas notnot aa bigbig oneone andand itit isis

notnot payingpaying highhigh salarysalary andand thethe companycompany

waswas havinghaving onlyonly limitedlimited growthgrowth

opportunities,opportunities, butbut thethe companycompany waswas aa

highlyhighly technologicaltechnological oneone,, andand soso LarrysLarrys

managementmanagement sciencescience waswas fullyfully

appreciatedappreciated..

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WhileWhile workingworking inin thethe newnew company,company,

LarryLarry waswas havinghaving anan inferiorityinferiority complexcomplex

sincesince soso manymany ofof hishis newnew associatesassociateshadhad PhDsPhDs..

WhenWhen LarryLarry wentwent toto informinform WebsterWebster

aboutabout hishis newnew job,job, hehe toldtold LarryLarry thatthat hehewillwill notnot askask himhim toto staystay backback andand eveneven ifif

hehe waswas stayingstaying inin thethe companycompany hehe

wouldwould notnot havehave recommendedrecommended hishis namename

forfor promotionpromotion andand soso hishis leavingleaving makesmakes

itit muchmuch easiereasier forfor allall ofof themthem..

OnOn hearinghearing thisthis LarryLarry movedmoved outout ofof thethe

officeoffice wherewhere hehe hashas sufferedsuffered forfor 44 yearsyears

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TwoTwo daysdays beforebefore hehe left,left, hehe hadhad anan

unexpectedunexpected visitorvisitor:: FrankFrank Sartorius,Sartorius,

thethe plantplant managermanager whowho waswas toto taketake

LarrysLarrys jobjob.. ThisThis astonishedastonished LarryLarry asas hehe

thoughtthought thatthat WebsterWebster wouldwould pickpick thethe

oldestoldest andand mostmost conventionalconventional ofof hishis fourfourplantplant managersmanagers..

ToTo hishis surprisesurprise,, insteadinstead hehe chosechose thethe

youngest,youngest, SartoriusSartorius waswas wellwell underunderforty,forty, thethe mostmost innovativeinnovative andand thethe

boldestboldest

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LarryLarry doubteddoubted whetherwhether FrankFrank waswas aa

correctcorrect choice,choice, asas hehe hadhad beenbeen plantplant

managermanager onlyonly fewfew yearsyears FrankFrank calledcalled LarryLarry andand toldtold himhim thatthat hehe

willwill bebe comingcoming forfor aa privateprivate meetingmeeting atat hishis

placeplace

SartoriusSartorius hadhad camecame toto askask thethe reasonsreasons

behindbehind LarrysLarrys leavingleaving fromfrom thethe companycompany..

FrankFrank toldtold LarryLarry thatthat hehe waswas shockedshocked

whenwhen hehe heardheard thatthat LarryLarry waswas leavingleaving andand

eveneven moremore shockedshocked whenwhen WebsterWebster

informedinformed himhim thatthat hehe isis goinggoing toto taketake overover

LarrysLarrys jobjob..

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He even told that he was not expectingHe even told that he was not expecting

such a promotion for another four years.such a promotion for another four years.

Larry spent an hour or two discussingLarry spent an hour or two discussingthe plants and their managers, andthe plants and their managers, and

another hour talking about theanother hour talking about the

relationships and problems inside therelationships and problems inside thecompany.company.

Finally Larry told Frank that you mightFinally Larry told Frank that you might

be knowing most of the company affairsbe knowing most of the company affairs

and he commended that the mostand he commended that the most

difficult element in the company is notdifficult element in the company is not

the plants or the different departments.the plants or the different departments.

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ButBut itit isis thatthat impossibleimpossible SOB,SOB, thethe boss,boss,

WebsterWebster..

LarrysLarrys commentscomments aboutabout WebsterWebster HeHe neverneverusedused toto readread aa lineline ofof thethe reportsreports.. HeHe nevernever

uttersutters aa wordword ofof praise,praise, butbut isis quickquick toto

criticizecriticize.. HeHe expectsexpects youyou toto keepkeep himhiminformedinformed aboutabout everythingeverything andand willwill bebe reallyreally

happyhappy ifif youyou informinform himhim eveneven unexpectedunexpected

thingsthings earlierearlier.. AndAnd eveneven ifif whenwhen youyou areare

aboutabout toto informinform himhim somethingsomething hehe willwill growlgrowlatat youyou.. HeHe isis aa personperson whowho doesn'tdoesn't likelike anyany

changeschanges..

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LarryLarry toldtold FrankFrank thatthat hehe isis notnot goinggoing toto havehave

anyany troubletrouble fromfrom thethe jobjob andand thethe employeesemployees

therethere areare reallyreally goodgood toto workwork with,with, butbut youyouwontwont bebe ableable toto managemanage youryour bossboss..

LarryLarry FrankenmuthFrankenmuth forgotforgot aboutabout hishis oldold

companycompany andand thethe newnew jobjob turnedturned outout toto bebe aagreatgreat dealdeal toughertougher thanthan hehe hadhad expectedexpected andand

keptkept himhim fullyfully occupiedoccupied..

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OnceOnce onon seeingseeing WebsterWebster inin airportairport LarryLarry

ranran toto himhim andand askedasked himhim howhow FrankFrankwaswas doingdoing andand thethe suddensudden replyreply waswas

WhyWhy shouldshould II telltell you?you?

TThreehree yearsyears laterlater,, LarryLarry camecame toto seesee inin

TheThe WallWall StreetStreet JournalJournal,, thatthat FrankFrank

SartoriusSartorius hadhad beenbeen appointedappointed toto

succeedsucceed PetePete WebsterWebster asas

manufacturingmanufacturing vicevice presidentpresident whenwhenWebsterWebster movedmoved upup toto executiveexecutive vicevice

presidentpresident inin chargecharge ofof thethe metalworkingmetalworking

andand mechanicalmechanical divisionsdivisions..

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On seeing that Larry decided that he willOn seeing that Larry decided that he will

send Sartoriussend Sartorius a note ofa note of congratulationscongratulations

whenwhen he reacheshe reaches homehome tonighttonight

ButBut when he got back home he foundwhen he got back home he found

that Sartoriusthat Sartorius had anticipatedhad anticipated him.him.

OnOn the hall table was a huge flowerpotthe hall table was a huge flowerpotwith awith a handwritten notehandwritten note from Sartorius.from Sartorius.

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Hand written note fromHand written note from sartorioussartorious

Dear Larry Frankenmuth:Dear Larry Frankenmuth:

YouYou will have heard that I have beenwill have heard that I have been

promoted to VPpromoted to VP--ManufacturingManufacturing

andand I owe it all to you and want to sayI owe it all to you and want to sayThank You.Thank You. You haveYou have taught me that Itaught me that I

had to learn to manage the boss. Andhad to learn to manage the boss. And

youyou told metold me how to do it.how to do it.Cordially,Cordially,

Frank SartoriusFrank Sartorius

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ObservationsObservations

It seems that the subordinate Mr. Larry

approaches the boss with a preconceived ideathat the boss is an old reactionary who never

accept any change.

Mr. Larry is having a superiority complex about

his higher qualification. This puts him in thesituation of inferiority complex in the midst of

PhDs in his changed environment.

Mr. Larry have a feeling that his superior is an

illiterate fellow and he is not able to understand

the facts and figures

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If at all he had plans to implement

professionalism in the operational activities

he could not convince the boss and failed toimplement change.

The superior Webster is also not a generous

fellow. He should also have behaved in a kind

manner to the employees. He must be able toaccept the talents of his subordinates.

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SuggestionsSuggestions

WithWith these issues and others in mind,these issues and others in mind,

here'shere's ourour revised list for reallyrevised list for really

managing your bad bossmanaging your bad boss::

UnderstandUnderstand whatwhat youryour bosssbosss goalsgoalsareare (i(i..ee.. "get"get aheadahead")") andand howhow youryour

objectivesobjectives differdiffer.. HowHow mightmight youryour bossboss

perceiveperceive youyou asas aa threat?threat? UseUse thatthatknowledgeknowledge toto keepkeep fromfrom steppingstepping onon

toestoes..

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ShowShow your boss how you willyour boss how you will

support him or her.support him or her. Focus on helpingFocus on helping

with the tasks your boss is weakest at,with the tasks your boss is weakest at,while being careful not to criticize.while being careful not to criticize.

Head off confrontationsHead off confrontations.. Just becauseJust because

your boss sent you 20 emails on youryour boss sent you 20 emails on yourvacation doesn't mean you need tovacation doesn't mean you need to

respond while water skiing. Take arespond while water skiing. Take a

breath and when you write back, keep itbreath and when you write back, keep itprofessional.professional.

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Document your jobDocument your job requirementsrequirements-- lilistingsting

all the projects and tasks expected of you willall the projects and tasks expected of you will

help minimize the amount ofhelp minimize the amount of anxiety.anxiety. And ifAnd ifyouryour boss continues to come up with stuff toboss continues to come up with stuff to

do, you at least have the documentation todo, you at least have the documentation to

support the need for more staffsupport the need for more staff.. Keep your goals secondaryKeep your goals secondary until (and ifuntil (and if

ever) you can win the trust of your boss.ever) you can win the trust of your boss.

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CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

When Your Boss is More Effective, SoWhen Your Boss is More Effective, So

Are YouAre You

Aristotle has stated We are what weAristotle has stated We are what werepeatedly do. Commit to managingrepeatedly do. Commit to managing

your Boss and you will be repeatedlyyour Boss and you will be repeatedly

maximizing your potential.maximizing your potential. Manage your bosss time.Manage your bosss time.

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