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Clearing the air, asserting authority
with a subordinate

By Andrea Wolf, Globe Correspondent, 6/29/03

Need advice about managing your career or your workplace? The Job Doc can help. Our specialists can answer your questions on topics ranging from career transitions to management issues. E-mail queries to jobdoc@globe.com, or send letters to Job Doc, c/o the Boston Globe, P.O. Box 2378, MA 02107-2378. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

I was just hired as a new manager and supervisor brought in from the outside. My new boss told me that one of the people I will supervise had applied for the job and was pretty upset when she was not promoted. Apparently, she told him that she would be watching to see that my qualifications warranted being chosen over her. My boss seems to have a special relationship with this employee whom I'll call Lynn, and so I am anxious about support for my authority. In addition, at several recent meetings, Lynn began to tell me what to do, how to act, and what to say to various contacts. I am not sure how to proceed at this point. Should I meet with Lynn to talk about her behavior, or just wait and see how this develops? Should I make my boss aware of what is happening? I am new at the company and so don't have much knowledge about the dynamics here. My instinct is to just keep a log, try to get some perspective on the situation, and simply observe her behavior, although the way she acts toward me makes me feel demoralized.

You are in a challenging situation. First, you were chosen from the outside as the new boss overseeing an employee who wanted your job and was not chosen. Second, the employee, Lynn is behaving in a way that is undermining your authority and you are questioning the most appropriate way to handle the situation. I advise you not to go to her boss, but rather follow your instincts of allowing some more time to pass in order to observe the environment and gather information.

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In order to evaluate Lynn's behavior, we can understand that she is probably feeling anger and disappointment. She may believe that her behavior is appropriate because she has superior knowledge and experience in the company. She is acting with authority as if she were the boss. It is evident that she is not ready to accept that you were chosen as the manager of your department.

My first recommendation is that you work on building relationships with your staff, colleagues, and boss by setting up both formal and informal informational meetings. Try to gain an understanding of their view of the organization and overall goals and expectations. You may want to find out what they think is important for your new job. Remember that relationships take time to build and that it is a continuous process.

As a next step, I advise you to set up a breakfast or lunch meeting with Lynn in a neutral, relaxed setting. Let her know that the purpose of the meeting is to discuss your working relationship. Since Lynn will have her antennae up, start the meeting by acknowledging that you know that she was interested in the position. Express that you value her work and talent, but are concerned that you clear the air about your working relationship. Allow her time to share how she is feeling about your new role as her boss.

Then share how you are feeling about your new role and describe your management style. Tell Lynn that you think it is important to clearly define your roles so that you are both on the same page. Identify skills she can contribute that will be helpful to you. Then ask Lynn for her expectations and career objectives.

You were hired to be an effective manager, which means that you need to let her know that you are in charge and have professional goals and expectations. I would recommend setting guidelines for Lynn's activities, assign her tasks, and request follow-up reports or meetings.

Provide her with feedback, evaluate progress, and acknowledge her contributions. As Lynn's manager, you are in the position to encourage the best use of her strengths and find ways you can tap into her skills as well as encourage her development.

Ex-manager says bonus denied

My VP-level position was recently eliminated (without cause) with less than a quarter of the fiscal year remaining. As a member of the executive team, I was eligible for a management bonus based on the financial performance of the company. Because I am no longer employed, the CEO indicates I am not eligible for the bonus. Further, he indicates that employment at fiscal year end was a stipulation of the program as defined by the board of directors. Even if this is true, this stipulation was never communicated to me before I joined, in my offer letter, or in any other correspondence that I received concerning the administration and calculation of executive level rewards. Am I eligible for this bonus? If so, how do I get my former employer to do the right thing?

Most often, bonuses are not guaranteed and are at the discretion of the company. It is a common practice that you must be employed at the time to be eligible for a bonus. As a former executive, I am wondering if you received a severance package and if you signed a separation agreement. If you want to pursue this issue further, I advise you to seek further advice and guidance from an employment lawyer.

Build skills, not pay early in career

I graduated in 2002 with a BA in art history and worked for almost a year as an administrative assistant at a small arts organization. I loved working there, but unfortunately I was not earning enough to support myself and left in April because I was offered a stable position at a well-known publishing company. This turned out to be a grave mistake because I was miserable at this new job and had to quit after one month. Now I am unemployed and looking for an administrative position in a different field. I have registered with employment agencies to find temporary or permanent work, but have been told that this is a very slow time and not to expect much. I am also having some difficulty because my experience has been limited to the arts. Do you have any advice as to good ways to build up my resume and what more I could be doing during my job search?

You are fairly new to the job market and experiencing the difficulties of finding a good ''fit.'' In the early stages of a career, your goal is to gather experience, build your skill set, and determine what you like. I think it is unfortunate that you left a job you ''loved'' because it didn't pay well. It sounds like the dollar signs of the publishing position were more important to you than the ingredients of the job itself. You probably jumped too quickly with little evaluation of the job itself. At the beginning of any career, what is most important is to gain new skills and learn, and the tradeoff may be salary. You may ''pay'' if you skip steps in the process. Now you can learn from the past and move forward with a plan.

I think it is a good idea to seek another administrative position that taps into the skills you have developed thus far. I would examine the parts of your arts administrative position that you enjoyed and seek something similar.

Another option is to seek temporary positions where you have the opportunity to test out different jobs. You will have a chance to evaluate the work skills and environment that are a good fit for you. If you really like the position and prove yourself to the employer, they may be interested in hiring you for a full-time position. Write a resume that summarizes your knowledge, accomplishments, skills, and qualities. Your college career office may provide you with additional help on your resume.

Don't quit search for possible offer

I was interviewed for a job in mid-April for an associate position at a law firm. The hiring partner told me they hoped to make a decision by the end of the month. The interview was with three partners and took almost 2 hours. At the end of the interview, the partner showed me the office I would be working in and asked for references and a writing sample (which I sent the next day). I sent my thank-you letters and didn't hear back. In mid-May, I left a message for the hiring partner and asked if a decision had been made and/or if they needed more information, explaining that I was very interested in the position and had been holding off applying elsewhere while waiting. The partner called me right back and thanked me for calling and explained that no decision had been made, but he was hoping that it would be done by the next day, as he was leaving on vacation the day after that. He further stated that if it wasn't decided the next day he hoped someone would ''pick up the ball'' while he was gone. This was last week, and I haven't heard. Now I am going on vacation. Should I call and give my cellphone number where I can be reached while away? Or should I let it go?

This is not an uncommon story in the interviewing process. It sounds like the law partner gave you every indication that he was interested in you as a potential hire, including showing you the office, asking for a writing sample and references. Yet, we do not know where the other partners stand in their interest in hiring you. You patiently waited to hear from him with no forthcoming response and appropriately left a message offering to send them more information.

I believe that holding off in applying elsewhere was a mistake. Until the offer is in writing and signed, it's not a real offer. Therefore you should proceed to continue an active job search. Second, it sends a message to the law firm that you are only counting on them.

Although the partner responded quickly, his message was that he was ''hoping'' that a decision would be made, or that if it wasn't decided the next day someone else would pick up the ball while he was away. That was a passive response. It makes us question their active interest in hiring you.

I advise you to e-mail the other partners with your information while you are on vacation. I suggest that you reiterate your interest in the position but tell them that, because you have not heard the outcome, you are pursuing other possibilities. If they are truly interested, they will follow up and pursue you. If not, then the message is clear.

Andrea Wolf is vice president of career management for Right Management Consultants in Boston. She can be reached at andrea.wolf@right.com.

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