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Showing posts with label superiors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label superiors. Show all posts
How your Boss talks to his/her Superior: #8 - The Minister
The Minister differs from the Lieutenant in three key ways. Firstly, they have their own agenda, and enough power and/or a weak enough Superior to pursue it independently. Secondly, they have reasonable expectations of the Superior’s job in the near future and are brave enough to try and encourage that. Reagans, Hitlers, Kennedys and Krushchevs are all prone to have Ministers rather than Lieutenants. Thirdly, it is often blurred exactly who is working to whom. The strongest Ministers with the weakest Superiors frequently have managed to get the Superior facilitating their own agenda rather than the usual way around.
How your Boss talks to his/her Superior: #7 - The Lieutenant
Sometimes your boss will be a true Extension (or maybe a Praetorian) of the Superior. You can generally spot this because there will appear to be a natural relationship between the two, without any of the curious or artificial giveaway-behaviours of the other types. Again, Maos, Thatchers and Saddams are most likely to have Lieutenants. This can be very good news. If you are nicely ensconced as a Praetorian of your boss, and that same or similar relationship applies up the chain, you are likely to find yourself brought into contact with the Superior in a positive way, and possibly even begin to be treated as an Extension of the Superior instead of just your boss: promotion is just a stratagem away
How your Boss talks to his/her Superior: #6 - The Agent-on-Earth
Sometimes your boss will quite clearly be a Loyalist of the Superior, charged with finding out what is actually going on. This is particularly likely if the Superior is a Thatcher or Mao. It is also possible with Saddams, in which case you are safe enough if the Agent-on-Earth is your direct boss, but be very careful otherwise not go give any information away.
Their mission on earth is not to achieve anything, but to try and find out what is actually going on: always a serious problem for Superiors (because no one ever wants to tell them anything bad). In the presence of the Superior, the Agent-on-Earth will often be the minute-taker of the meeting, or the guy who prepared the agenda, or worst-of-all, the guy passing notes and periodically taking the lead in questioning. Look out for situations where this has clearly been set up in advance.
Their mission on earth is not to achieve anything, but to try and find out what is actually going on: always a serious problem for Superiors (because no one ever wants to tell them anything bad). In the presence of the Superior, the Agent-on-Earth will often be the minute-taker of the meeting, or the guy who prepared the agenda, or worst-of-all, the guy passing notes and periodically taking the lead in questioning. Look out for situations where this has clearly been set up in advance.
How your Boss talks to his/her Superior: #5 - The Press-Officer
Expected at all times to express the Superior’s opinion. With Superior’s who are weak on the party-line, or just weak, particularly with Reagans and Krushchevs, the Superior will usually ensure that questions in this area (or most areas) are thrown over to the Press-Officer. Phrases such as “where do we stand on that one, Jack?” and “do you have the latest on this?” give the game away. Be careful not to confuse the Press-Officer, who is just a voice, with the following types (Minister, Lieutenant, Agent on Earth) who have real power
How your Boss talks to his/her Superior: #4 - The Child
A surprisingly frequent visitor, the Child (an exaggeratedly emotional Dependent when in the presence of the Superior in front of an audience) has a self-esteem which seems completely determined by the Superior’s responses on a minute-by-minute basis. Merely being engaged in public conversation by the Superior makes them blossom, while being praised makes them gibber with gratitude. Being rebuked however, can often bring them near to tears. This is useful as it usually means they can’t speak for several minutes for fear of cracking voice, or actually have to leave a meeting in need of an emergency bathroom visit, giving you the opportunity to speak without your boss as an audience. For some reason, (possibly connected with their power-as-aphrodisiac aspiriations?), Kennedys seem to have an unusual high birthrate of Child reactions.
How your Boss talks to his/her Superior: #3 - The Bureaucrat
The Bureacrat always carries files full of detail to discussions with the Superior (or in its more modern version, the Technoprat, carries around PDAs, laptops, the latest in mobile-phone technology) and resorts to hiding in them whenever addressed. “Let me see, we did 17 of those on Tuesday, 43 on Wednesday, 2032 month-to-date, so it’s going pretty well” is a characteristic response.
When called to action, the response is to make a note on a ToDo list (usually a special pad specially ruled for the purpose) and reply “OK, we’ll do a preliminary study this week and get back to you with a more detailed response.” Make sure you recognise actions which will be coming your way later if this happens in your presence, so that you can either do them, or have made a plan to avoid or amend them, before they actually arrive (in memo or email form) in a couple of days time.
How your Boss talks to his/her Superior: #2 - The Slave
Usually very nervous in tone (you may even have seen slaves who tremble or sweat slightly). Every utterance from the Superior is supported with, often excessive, approving body-language, and as soon as a suggestion is made, it is greeted with “we’ll get on to it right away” or similar. In the worst case, the Slave will delegate on the spot, so watch out for the “Jack, can you see that Superior gets it by Friday please”. Incidentally, do not argue if this happens to you. Just agree in public, and then if Friday is a ridiculous deadline, or the task is impossible anyway, go and discuss it with your boss now.
If the Slave has missed a deadline, or failed to achieve something, and is caught out by the Superior, the Slave will always cover with “we’ve got a few problems with that right now, but it should be done early next week”. Whatever happens, the Slave will never tell the Superior that something he/she has said is wrong/impossible/stupid; rather they will try to make it right/feasible/magnificently-farsighted.
How your Boss talks to his/her Superior: #1 - The Creep
Most people have seen this one in action and can recognise it instantly. However, just for the record, the technique at the kind of reasonably senior level that might be the case here usually involves the boss referring to meetings or projects in the recent past at which both Boss and Superior were present, and reminiscing over highlights of the superior’s performance. Phrases like “I think you got them over a barrel when you said…”, “that decision, which I thought was rather risky actually, turned out fantastically well didn’t it?” and so on, are characteristic. Especially with men, a kind of chummy deference sets the tone.
Understand the relationship between your Boss and his/her Superior
Superiors (see previous posts) are often quite different when acting as immediate bosses instead of visiting nobility. Remember that your own boss...
- ...will not see them as a remote figure in the way that most others do
- ...is concerned about them as a boss in the same way that you are concerned about the actions of your own boss
- ...has evolved a strategy for dealing with them, which may well involve quite different behaviour from the behaviour displayed to you in “boss-mode”
The last is the key point, and so it is worth a brief discussion of survival styles available to a boss when working for each kind of Superior. A little observation when the opportunity presents itself (i.e. while you are being silent in the Superior’s presence) should quickly reveal your boss’s choice. We begin by classifying these boss-survival styles, and then consider which of them work which each kind of Superior. They are:
The next posts will look briefly at each in turn. Don't make a fool of yourself
The instruction “do not make a fool of yourself” appears obvious. Clearly, don’t make yourself look stupid. However there is a more subtle side to this. Only with the Hitler and the Krushchev is there any mileage in trying to make yourself look good.
With all other types, they will ignore/forget if you say something intelligent, but notice and maybe even remember if you say something foolish. Because of the potential difference in grade/perspective/age between you and them, what appears intelligent to you may well appear foolish in their eyes. It is very easy to chip in a pert remark in a meeting, only to find all eyes focussed on you while the Superior in question expresses an alternative view which makes your remark look extremely naïve.
Be extra careful with the Thatcher, who will follow up the foolishness, and with the Saddam who may well simply order your execution afterwards (or in corporate speak, become a block to your chances of promotion within the next decade or two).
This leads on to a related point. Superiors are unlikely to be directly involved in any discussions about your pay, grade or general opportunities. They do, however, tend to have to sign any changes off. And if you make a fool of yourself, they won’t; at the very least they will obstruct or delay it, and may well have the power to block your chances permanently. On the other hand, even if they remember anything positive you might have done in their presence, it is not going to lead to a corresponding “seems good, I think we should even give her another couple of thousand over and above the recommended figure” type of response. They are not involved in the evaluation, only in the yes/no decision at the end.
So, when the Superior is around:
- speak when spoken to
- be brief, and stick to the party line
- do not try to stand out
- be seen and not heard
- and above all, don't end up looking a fool... unless you have a cunning plan
- and above all, don't end up looking a fool... unless you have a cunning plan
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Superiors: The Thatcher
Usually, but not always female. The Thatcher is focussed on an image of themselves as a “leader”. Their self-image varies, but often it will include needing to appear tough, decisive, in-charge. Points to note:
a) if you express an opinion, or agree to do something, the Thatcher will follow it up. He or she may well bypass the normal chain of command in doing so, so the protection which might normally be offered by your Boss is limited. Do not make the mistake, therefore, of saying or agreeing to do something which you know your boss would be unhappy about.
b) the Thatcher offers the best chance for you to employ the “getting rid of your boss” high-risk strategy described in another post. Thatchers do not tolerate fools. Of course this means if you get it wrong, the axe will fall even harder on your own head
c) appearing tough and decisive requires that you maintain a firm line and stick to it. This usually means delaying selecting this line until the last possible minute, so that it has the best chance of being correct and not being overtaken by events. A genuine Thatcher quote: “one thing I’ve learned [in politics]. Never take a decision until you have to.” Be very careful not to find yourself in the wrong camp when this happens. The besr way to do this is to avoid expressing any meaningful opinion if at all possible. Delegate expressing opinions up to your Boss.
a) if you express an opinion, or agree to do something, the Thatcher will follow it up. He or she may well bypass the normal chain of command in doing so, so the protection which might normally be offered by your Boss is limited. Do not make the mistake, therefore, of saying or agreeing to do something which you know your boss would be unhappy about.
b) the Thatcher offers the best chance for you to employ the “getting rid of your boss” high-risk strategy described in another post. Thatchers do not tolerate fools. Of course this means if you get it wrong, the axe will fall even harder on your own head
c) appearing tough and decisive requires that you maintain a firm line and stick to it. This usually means delaying selecting this line until the last possible minute, so that it has the best chance of being correct and not being overtaken by events. A genuine Thatcher quote: “one thing I’ve learned [in politics]. Never take a decision until you have to.” Be very careful not to find yourself in the wrong camp when this happens. The besr way to do this is to avoid expressing any meaningful opinion if at all possible. Delegate expressing opinions up to your Boss.
Superiors: The Kennedy
Almost always male, charismatic and charming, the Kennedy has climbed the career ladder motivated primarily by the hope that power really is an aphrodisiac. Concerned always to appear caring and interested, but actually cares and is interested only in himself. Points to note:
a) do not be taken in. Coming into contact with a Kennedy will tend to be a positive experience. They are skilled at making you feel valued, and many are charismatic enough so that simply having their attention is in some way a fulfilling experience, and when their attention moves on it leaves a kind of void. Remember that this is entirely transient and their interest ceases the moment they move on to smile at someone else.
b) The Kennedy will have its own circle of people to whom it actually listens. You are not in it. Your opinion will not count. So don't express it. See "not making a fool of yourself".
a) do not be taken in. Coming into contact with a Kennedy will tend to be a positive experience. They are skilled at making you feel valued, and many are charismatic enough so that simply having their attention is in some way a fulfilling experience, and when their attention moves on it leaves a kind of void. Remember that this is entirely transient and their interest ceases the moment they move on to smile at someone else.
b) The Kennedy will have its own circle of people to whom it actually listens. You are not in it. Your opinion will not count. So don't express it. See "not making a fool of yourself".
Superiors: The Saddam
An outstanding organiser, the Saddam has a clear agenda. This agenda consists of two items at all times: “Point 1: the Saddam; Point 2: Any Other Business”. You are either for the Saddam or against. If you are against, you should leave now. If you are for, your role will be clearly defined and you should not try to step outside it. Points to note:
a) the Saddam frequently checks loyalty. Make sure you are. Consider if your Boss is. Can you influence this? Remember that if your boss is not, you may be guilty by association. Or you might get their job. A dilemma.
b) do not step outside your allotted place. If you are privately against the Saddam, keep this well hidden, and bide your time. Toe the party line, spout the party policy in public
c) a standard Saddam practice is to ensure that his/her immediate reports are completely bound into the Saddam’s agenda (in the historical case in Iraq, by getting each of them to shoot a “traitor” or two). Find out how the Saddam has bound in your own boss. It will normally involve some sort of rule or convention breaking (e.g. a “local” expenses policy). The information is useless now, but if the Saddam is replaced later, it will certainly come in handy.
a) the Saddam frequently checks loyalty. Make sure you are. Consider if your Boss is. Can you influence this? Remember that if your boss is not, you may be guilty by association. Or you might get their job. A dilemma.
b) do not step outside your allotted place. If you are privately against the Saddam, keep this well hidden, and bide your time. Toe the party line, spout the party policy in public
c) a standard Saddam practice is to ensure that his/her immediate reports are completely bound into the Saddam’s agenda (in the historical case in Iraq, by getting each of them to shoot a “traitor” or two). Find out how the Saddam has bound in your own boss. It will normally involve some sort of rule or convention breaking (e.g. a “local” expenses policy). The information is useless now, but if the Saddam is replaced later, it will certainly come in handy.
Superiors: The Kruschev
The Krushchev is a victim of the Peter Principle. He/she has indeed risen to his/her level of incompetence. Over-promoted and therefore probably personally insecure. Capricious in the extreme. Points to note:
a) the Krushchev will have pet areas of interest. If your specialism is one of these, you may have the opportunity to shine, but equally you may have the opportunity to inadvertently contradict this superior’s (usually outdated, because the knowledge was acquired twenty years earlier in their career) specialist knowledge. If this happens, you will be marked down as a fool, and this will probably not be forgotten.
b) the Krushchev is often bad at delegating responsibility. Your own Boss may therefore be in a position of almost total freedom to pursue their own agenda. This might or might not be a bad thing: you need to evaluate how far this might take you out of the mainstream of the company. If the agenda is particularly independent or bizarre, you could find yourself allocated to a kind of internal Siberia.
Superiors: The Mao
The Mao is concerned first and foremost with maintaining his/her position, and with the politics of senior management. Usually a skilful negotiator and office-politician, and definitely (a trait shared with the Hitler) a divide-and-conquer practitioner. Points to note:
a) you are simply irrelevant as far as the Mao is concerned. You are too junior to represent a threat, and therefore too junior to represent anything. Don’t speak unless spoken to, remain deferential, stick to the party line
b) the Mao will be focussed on two areas: his/her pet projects, and avoiding high-profile mistakes. Pet projects will be those which carry cachet at senior management level – so you need to know which these are. Find out now! High-profile mistakes are those which will have to be formally reported and so cannot be covered up. If they leak out, the Mao will want a scapegoat. The Mao will need to be seen to have “done something to stop this happening again”. This is something of a lottery. Make sure you didn’t make the mistake. Consider the usefulness of ensuring that your Boss did. Think very carefully before acting. The Mao is not interested in the truth, only in protecting his/her situation.
Superiors: The Hitler
At the opposite end of the spectrum from the Reagan, the Hitler simply cannot resist demonstrating his/her superior knowledge of every aspect of detail. Often fickle, so that policy consists of whatever the Hitler is thinking today. Points to note:
a) do not try to argue with the Hitler. He/she is right anyway. Fortunately, the Hitler will move on tomorrow to be interested in another area, and forget whatever he/she said today. Occasionally a little more organised, and therefore with some slight danger of following up. Agree with your Boss a line to take with, or brief memo recording your response to, instructions from the Hitler, just in case of the follow-up question.
b) your Boss will be fairly terrified of the Hitler, and either fawning or anxious for its attentions to move elsewhere. You can use this to your advantage with care, by reminding your boss occasionally of the Hitler’s interest in your own pet area, if you are fortunate enough for this to be demonstrated
a) do not try to argue with the Hitler. He/she is right anyway. Fortunately, the Hitler will move on tomorrow to be interested in another area, and forget whatever he/she said today. Occasionally a little more organised, and therefore with some slight danger of following up. Agree with your Boss a line to take with, or brief memo recording your response to, instructions from the Hitler, just in case of the follow-up question.
b) your Boss will be fairly terrified of the Hitler, and either fawning or anxious for its attentions to move elsewhere. You can use this to your advantage with care, by reminding your boss occasionally of the Hitler’s interest in your own pet area, if you are fortunate enough for this to be demonstrated
Superiors: The Reagan
The Reagan has a completely hands-off style, which contents itself with setting policy and letting those beneath carry it out. It may not be clear if the Reagan actually sets policy – it may well be too stupid for this -, but it can certainly spout it convincingly. Main points to note from your perspective as a relative junior:
a) you will not be consulted directly about policy, and your opinion will not carry weight, so don’t bother trying. You will just look naïve
b) you can expect to be treated with absent courtesy
c) the Reagan will see you simply as an extension of your Boss, regardless of your actual situation
Dealing with more remote Superiors
Three things matter when dealing with your boss's Superior(s):
The next posts look at each in turn
- Do not make a fool of yourself
- Do NOT make a fool of your boss
- Understand the relationship between Boss and Superior
The next posts look at each in turn
Disposing of your boss
Sometimes your boss ceases to be useful. He/she stops gives you the things you want, whatever they may be. If that happens, your boss is broken you and need to find a replacement.
There are three main ways to dispose of your boss:
i) change jobs, by obtaining an inside track on a selection process to a more desirable role, (rather similarly to getting promoted above).
ii) change boss by persuading an alternative candidate to acquire you to their team, assuming your corporate culture permits it. A generally accepted way of going about this is to take a secondment/placement which you somehow fail to return from.
iii) get the boss removed.
Option iii) is a high-risk strategy. If you really want to try it, here is how to go about it, but please read the health warning on the packet.
Step 1: find out what your boss’s relationship to his/her Superior is.
Step 2: If he/she is a Loyalist, forget it now. If he/she is an Extension, you have to become a more competent Extension than your boss, or find a candidate for that position. If he/she is in another role, you stand a greater chance because they will be considered dispensable.
Step 3: establish your own relationship with your boss’s Superior. This is high-risk. You will need to become a Loyalist. If your own boss has any wits about them, they will undoubtedly block this, quite possibly in a way that is detrimental to you.
Step 4: divide your boss’s responsibilities into three parts.
Part 1: anything which overlaps with, or is delegated to you. Leave this well alone. You do not under any circumstances want to cast any doubt in the general competence of your boss’s team in these areas, in case that doubt leaks over you. Under normal circumstances you will of course be promoting the success of this area in any case.
Part 2: anything which is well within your boss’s core competency, or about which you know little, or which is handled by very competent people
Part 3: the rest, presumably your boss’s weakest areas.
Step 5: slowly arrange for doubt to be cast over your boss’s competency in this area. If you have succeeded with step 3, you may be able to do this directly. If not, you may have to find a disaffected Specialist or Extension in the relevant area whose discontent you can cultivate. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer slowly over a hot executive.
And hey presto, your boss is incompetent, and provided you have handled step 4 correctly, you should be in pole position for the job yourself. Just to repeat: don’t try this at home without a parent or guardian present. Also, remember that it is better to work for an incompetent boss than an incompetent interfering boss.
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