It's Good, But...

If you've been reading my blog recently, you know I've had some issues with the boss. I actually had a talk with her boss about these issues. I now have reason to believe that her boss discussed these issues with her. My boss will no longer sit in a conference room alone with me. She has cancelled 3 meetings with me, and instead has me and my co-worker join her at her desk or at a table in the lunch room. She is now making a small effort (and extremely half-hearted, too) at complimenting my work. Now, I will say that with the better direction she has been giving, I am able to do a better job. That being said, I turned in a DRAFT of a project I had been working on just to make sure it was what she was looking for. Well, I was called into the lunch room (alone - for the first time in two weeks) and told that this was a project and needed to be available for viewing by all levels of management. She went up one side of me and down the other about formatting, colors, 'making it pop', and so on. After I took my beating and went back to my desk, she called in my co-worker to ask her to sit with me for a few hours and show me how to do it. I have some issues with this: 1. My co-worker is also my friend, and does not want to be put in this position 2. My boss is the one who should 'show me how to do it' 3. The boss is playing us each against the other Here comes the compliment part: After my co-worker and I discussed, and made some changes to the project, I sent it back to the boss. The following is from her email reply to me: This looks MUCH better! Good Job! Only a few things to note: 1. On your analysis sheet, blah blah blah. 2. Your data label “January” should be identified in your blah blah blah. 3. On your data source, blah blah blah. 4. The colors you have chosen are fine, however, blah blah blah. 5. And lastly, blah blah blah blah. I’ve manipulated these few changes to show you a final output. These suggestions should be used to help you formulate charts going forward. Other than these suggestions, GREAT JOB!

So, it's good, but... I know it started with Good Job and ended with GREAT JOB, but after my recent issues with the boss, the middle part really says THIS SUCKS!

I think the lesson here is: NEVER send a draft to the boss. I tried telling her several times that it was a draft, but she wasn't listening. Another lesson I have learned from my recent experiences is: I will never please this boss, no matter what I do. Example: when I finally finished the project and sent it off to her, she called and said it was great, but... So I made the 3 changes that she wanted and double and then triple-checked everything to be sure I left no room for error. I sent it to her and she said it was perfect, but needed another chart added to it! At least I have realized that I will never please her. That will help to ease my frustrations at times, at least. Let me know what your thoughts are, or if you have or have had a bad boss. Please post your comments!