Caucuses are meetings that mediators hold separately with each side of a dispute. They can be called by the mediator or by one of the parties to work out problems that occur during the mediation process. Sometimes there are external factors that create changes or new tensions during the mediation. For example, in a public policy mediation, there could be external political or economic events that change the relationship between the negotiating parties. A mediator may want to meet with the parties separately to assess the effect of the changed situation on the party and determine whether it makes sense to continue with the mediation as Read the rest of this entry »
Nothing sparks more commentary than asking about what makes a manager a bad boss. With my Web site poll and its lengthy comments thread, I found some common themes in site visitor responses. Want to avoid becoming a bad boss? Afraid that you may already be considered a bad boss? Just want to commiserate with other people who have bad bosses? Here are your thoughts about what makes a bad boss, well – bad? Consensus doesn’t exist, but several themes occurred most frequently in the comments the site received from readers. Read the rest of this entry »
Executive Summary: Part one of the article summarizes reasons why you might want to quit your job along with potential solutions to these issues that may make your current job and workplace viable. In part two, read about more issues related to quitting your job, plus, learn the number one reason why people quit their jobs. Are you feeling increasingly unhappy about your job? Do you find yourself day dreaming about other things you could do with the time you spend at work? Do you dread the thought of Monday mornings? Read the rest of this entry »
If you’ve never had a bad boss, count yourself lucky. Bosses who lose their temper, play favorites or can’t communicate—and that’s just a start on the list of managerial misbehavior—can make going in to work annoying, humiliating and infuriating. And, unless you’re independently wealthy, you’re probably not in a position to tell your boss to take this job and shove it. What can you do if you get a boss who’s the biggest obstacle to doing—and enjoying—your job? “Becoming aware that this is a problem is the first step,” says Christine Wilson, an independent career coach in New York City. If you do get stuck with a lousy boss, you’ll need a strategy for dealing with the things that your boss does—or doesn’t do—that drive you crazy. Read the rest of this entry »
Definition: [p An exempt employee is an employee who, because of his or her positional duties and responsibilities and level of decision making authority is exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Exempt employees are expected, by most organizations, to work whatever hours are necessary to accomplish the goals and deliverables of the position. Thus, exempt employees have more flexibility in their schedules to come and go as necessary to accomplish work than non-exempt or hourly employees. Read the rest of this entry »
Years ago, when I was a marketing manager at People Magazine, we had a boss who drove all his employees nuts. “Pete” would start wandering the hallways at 4:30 to make sure no one left work before 5, he would give assignments but then micromanage them to death, he seemed to enjoy being in everyone’s business, and he rarely gave good performance reviews — unless somehow it reflected back on him. We referred to him as Napoleon Pete. All-in-all, Pete drove everyone in the department crazy, and little-by-little just about every member of the department left. Pete is a perfect example of the workplace axiom that job-seekers join great companies but leave because of bad bosses. Read the rest of this entry »
Toxic managers is just a politically correct term for corporate psychopaths, really dangerous predators of corporate jungles in general and IT jungles in particular. Psychopaths cannot be understood in terms of antisocial rearing or development. They are the “monsters” of the corporate world not that different from ordinary criminals or, to be more precise, are “criminals without crime”. Psychopathy is first of all the failure to recognize, much less to empathize with, the personal human dignity, rights, and feelings of others. In a deep sense of this word they are unsane. Read the rest of this entry »
The Unwitting Bad Boss. You’re weary. You’re frustrated. You’re unhappy. You’re demotivated. Your interaction with your boss leaves you cold. He’s a bully, intrusive, controlling, picky or petty. He takes credit for your work, never provides positive feedback and misses each meeting he schedules with you. Or he caves immediately under pressure and fails to support you in accomplishing your job. He’s a bad boss, bad to the bone. Dealing with a less than effective manager, or just plain bad managers and bad bosses, is a challenge too many employees face. No matter the character of your bad boss, these ideas will help you deal with your bad boss. Does the Bad Boss Know? Read the rest of this entry »
A few years back, an article I ran across indicated that workers seemed to like their jobs but had significant problems with their bosses. Some 61 percent said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their work. But fewer than half thought they were fairly dealt with, had team-building bosses, or had bosses who made timely and good decisions. Only about 36 percent said their companies sought their suggestions for improvement. Considerable evidence suggests that the person with the greatest influence upon how you will fare in your job is your immediate boss. Although this is by no means always the case — such as when the corporate folks have spotted you as a real comer — it appears to be true most of the time. Read the rest of this entry »
How many times have you witnessed someone working in a supervisory position without the necessary supervisory skills? How many times have you questioned why some leaders get the roles that they do? Probably, often. It should come as no surprise to you, then, that at least once in your working life, you will be the victim of a bad boss. Stanley Bing recently updated his 1992 book, Crazy Bosses. (Compare prices.) In fact, there are several popular books that address wicked, mean, dysfunctional, or just plain, bad bosses. But what if your boss isn’t that bad? What if all your boss needs is a little supervisory skills training? Read the rest of this entry »
