Category: Managing the Boss

A lot of emotions can surface in the younger boss/older employee relationship. All of them are understandable. Here are some grounding tips.

Peggy Vasquez presented the training session “How to Develop a Powerful Partnership With Your Manager” at Admin Pro Forum 2019 in Orlando. Her book NOT, “Just an Admin!” offers this advice when it’s become difficult to work with your boss.

Avoid embarrassing an “unplugged” employee by calling on him or her so you can put them on the spot.

Thinking through a problem deeply—long before taking any action—may be the key to solving it.

You will learn a great deal about your executives if you just pay attention. This will lead you to understand them at a deeper level so you can build a stronger partnership with them.

Silence is golden … A great interview question

Many books and articles cover the art of listening well. But what can you do when you’ve mastered this skill, but your boss hasn’t? How can you cut through the fog when the person you work for won’t focus on what you have to say?

Avoid falling prey to the most common lie leaders tell themselves—that they allow people below them to make decisions—by analyzing four or five of the most important “group” decisions made recently. You might be surprised by how often it was really you who charted the course, and possibly stifled the team in doing so. — […]

A truly busy and visible executive is a little like a TV reporter who has to appear credible every moment, yet because of time constraints, can’t always know every detail of what’s really going on. That’s where a great admin comes in.

Remember that when you sit behind a desk and your employees are sitting in front of you, you are clearly positioned as the superior, which produces a natural reticence in people you’re paying to speak openly. If you want to cultivate honesty, level the playing field by sitting with the team at a table whenever […]