How can I, or rather should I, tell my boss that "I got it" and "let it go"?
Background: I was approached by senior management to develop a strategy to improve the performance of our supply chain. Through that work, management approached my bosses' boss about me working "on a temporary basis" to implement some of the things that I articulated in the strategy.
I have reservations about "temporary" because we have an unwritten policy that all positions will be advertised & candidates will go through a selection process. I'm currently in a role that was created in order to hire me into the company. I was the only candidate & no one else interviewed. I have encountered numerous obstacles because I'm viewed as a special case and an outsider. In addition, when I was brought on, the team was told that I was going to "help out" but there was no definition about what that meant. In turn assumptions were formed and my view, my bosses view and the team's view of my role were on very different fields.
My problem: My boss and I have discussed my concerns with the "temporary job" during our O3. He in turn shared that concern with the management team and then went on to share that he has concerns with my ability to build relationships, that it is a weakness. We've discussed this in our O3, and I agree it is an area for development. Now, 4 weeks after we had this conversation, he continues to repeat the same mantra of "you need coaching in order to build relationships". His assessment is that over the last 9 months, I've made significant strides in building relationships within our organization.
I'm concerned that his "concerns" are being articulated on a repeated basis to management, thus coloring this opportunity. In addition, I'm tired of hearing his "concerns". He has some behavioral tendencies that make my skin crawl and I am coming to resent his "counsel" because of the hypocrisy that he displays on a daily basis.
At this point I'm frustrated and just want away from my boss. I don't respect him, I resent his "attempts to help" and dread our O3s.
Develop A Plan, Then Show Results
Have you developed a plan around building more effective relationships? Can you point to progress in implementing that plan?
If you haven't thought about developing a plan, I recommend revisiting some of the MT resources on this site. For example, some years ago there was a podcast on how to reach out to co-workers when you assumed a new position. Mark walked us through a sample email which had one powerpoint slide attached to it. There were four questions (I think) on it. You could adapt that podcast to fit your needs. (I did this when I took over my current position and found it very useful.)
Zooming out a bit, have you developed a list of the people you need to build more effective relationships with? How will you develop those relationships? When? (This is where you could incorporate the tactic above.)
I also recommend the book, The Ripple Effect. http://www.amazon.com/The-Ripple-Effect-Maximizing-Relationships/dp/097… It's available as a Kindle e-book for $9.99.
This book, like MT, is long on action, short on theory. It's also a fast read.
Once you've developed your plan, share it with your boss. Share also progress.
Good luck!
"knock it off'
The Reality is that its impossible to know with any surety that you're being viewed as a special case, and unless you're present, impossible to know what is being said about you to management is negative, and that it will impact on future opportunities.
Your boss may have, in their view settled on a 'problem' to be fixed and strategy that he believes will work, and despite behavioural tendencies that are uncomfortable for you, is probably coming from a positive place. (assume positive intent). I agree with GLENNR that collaborative goal setting around the relationship issue is a good idea. You propose the goal and actions. Potential outcomes are that it will get him off your back and also demonstrate your commitment to improve in a way that satisfies his need to do something constructive about the perceived issue. You never know, it may also help to put you in touch with colleagues, provide opportunities in an area of development, and hopefully become a positive event for you. good luck
thanks!
Thanks for the advice!
@GLENNR, I've been working off of a collaborative plan for about 6 months and that includes a list of people with whom I should build relationships. It's been effective and I can point to progress made. I will definitely download The Ripple Effect and read it.
I'm thinking I should revisit the plan and make sure that I'm still on track and that it doesn't need to be updated.
thanks again