Improve Your Relationship With Your Micromanaging Boss

Improve Your Relationship With Your Micromanaging BossImprove Your Relationship With Your Micromanaging BossIdeally, your babo would give you general guidance when you needed it, answer questions when you have them, and give you a nice year-end bonus. But, unfortunately, thats not how many managers operate. Sometimes you can end up with a micromanaging boss who is constantly looking over your shoulder, driving you nuts. Most micromanaging bosses arent bad people, just misguided managers. You can use unterstellung five tips to improve your relationship with your boss. Evaluate if the constant corrections are necessary. While being constantly corrected and painstakingly instructed can seem ridiculous, sometimes you need it. Does your boss constantly ask you what youre doing because youre frequently surfing your social media accounts? Does she ask you to explain your plans for the day, because you have a tendency to chat with your coworkers mora than you should? The honest truth is some employees need to be tightly managed because they dont stay on task, dont do quality work, and dont perform up to the level their paychecks would suggest. If your boss is constantly on your case, evaluate our own work habits and see if you need to make some corrections. If youre missing deadlines or forgetting to respond to emails, your boss is justifiably micromanaging you. Figure out what is most important to your boss. Often, a micromanager focuses on things that you dont think are important- and, in reality, may not be important. A boss might criticize the width of the lines on your spreadsheet, or want you to put your office supplies in a certain order on your desk. These things are utterly unimportant to you, but they are extremely important to your boss. You can fight these things and remain miserable, or you can say, You know what? It doesnt matter how this table is formatted, so Ill just do it the way the boss wants. It may be ugly, but in things that dont really m atter, you defer to the boss. Some bosses have weird quirks, and the sooner you can figure them out, the easier your life will be. You may be loathed to do this- after all, it takes away from your individuality, but the reality is you were hired to do a job, not to be yourself. Now, for super important things, pushing back makes sense, but for the little things, just give in. Dont just ask what but how. Micromanagers often care about how things get done, not just that they do get done. Save yourself a boatload of pain by asking how at the beginning of the project. It may be extremely clear to you that the proper steps are A, B, C, and D, but if you ask your micromanager, she might reply, A, C, D, B. Now, of course, you should push back (gently) if thats ridiculous, but if its just different than what you would normally do, go ahead and do it her way. After youve proven yoursuccess, you can try one of the steps above to ask if you can manage the how on your own. Ask for a bit mor e freedom. Sometimes micromanagers supervise work closely because they are absolutely convinced that if they stop directing everything you do, youll stop working. They often prove this because employees become so disheartened while working for them, that they do just give up and sit there when no one is giving step by step instructions. Managers can often be convinced if you can demonstrate competence, so ask. Start with something like this Jane, I really appreciate the mentoring youve given me since I started, but I think Im ready for a bit more responsibility. Instead of meeting with you every day to discuss my project, can we have a weekly meeting? If I run into problems, Ill come to you straight away, but I think Im ready to fly on my own. Notice that youre not just saying, Get off my back, you crazy control freak Youre thanking your boss for mentoring you, which makes your boss think its her good management skills that have brought you to this point. Yes, this is sucking up . Yes, it works. If your boss agrees, you need to work harder than youve ever worked before in your life. Dont mess up you only get one chance. Pay special attention to the annoying little quirks that your boss thinks are important. Be honest. Sometimes your micromanaging boss is unaware that shes being too overbearing. This is especially the case with new managers who arent comfortable in a management role. The one thing a new manager knows shes supposed to do is to tell employees what to do and then follow up with them. Such a boss may be inadvertently micromanaging you. So speak up Jane, Im a pretty independent worker. For instance, I did successful project A and successful project B largely on my own. Its one of the main reasons I was promoted to this role. Im starting to feel a bit smothered when I have to copy you on all of my emails and provide you with frequent updates. I work a lot better when I have a bit of freedom. Your boss may say, Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me k now. Dont ever frame your desire for less supervision as youre bad, but rather as, this is a unique need that I have. Bosses are often interested in doing what will bring about the best results and this area is no exception. Overall, dont just give up when you meet a micromanager. Try a few of these tips, work hard, and see if you cant resolve the problem on your own. - Suzanne Lucas is a freelance journalist specializing in Human Resources. Suzannes work has been featured on notes publications including Forbes, CBS, Business Insider and Yahoo.

10 Ways Workplace Culture Differs Around the World

10 Ways Workplace Culture Differs Around the World10 Ways Workplace Culture Differs Around the World Few experiences enhance your professional prowess and deepen your cultural awareness like working abroad . Learning how your international counterparts operate, embracing the customs of foreign workplaces and having the chance to build relationships with international peers can yield lasting rewards. Plus, international professional opportunities can lead to enhanced sensitivity, bolstering your emotional intelligence and fortifying your understanding of your industry and your role. But before you head out to travel the world , its worth reading up on some of theunique habits and workstyles of international offices - here are a few that may surprise youThe workweek in Israel runs from Sunday Thursday so that citizens are free to observe Shabbat, the Jewish Holy Day, from sundown on Friday to Saturday evening. The standard Israeli work week is 43 hours , and many I sraeli workers sneak in some work hours on Friday morning. Professionals in some Israeli industries, such as tech, have adopted a Western schedule to keep in touch with their international counterparts, but this is typically the exception rather than the rule.French workers are protected by a Right to Disconnect Law, which stipulates that most French professionals are not responsible for responding to emails that come in after hours. The measure was adopted to protect employees from being overworked. This is something we can only dream about in the U.S., but in France, its regarded as a necessary means to ensure a healthy work-life balance.Have difficulty making it to your meetings on time? Dont sweat it - b eing 15 minutes late to a geschftsleben meeting in India is still considered on time, reports The Economic Times .Radio taiso is a 15-minute exercise regimen that is commonly enacted in Japan. It earned its name because the steps and music that accompany the workout are broadcast throughout the day on Japans National Radio (NHK). Students engage the warm-up before classes, just as staff at many companies perform Radio taiso as a collective unit each morning. Companies invite employees to exercise together to build morale, reduce stress and create a feeling of unity among team members.The Swedes believe that taking breaks seeds productivity, which is why they take coffee breaks, or fika , very seriously. Fika gives Swedish workers an opportunity to relax and enjoy a beverage and a sweet with their colleagues. Some Swedish businesses have formal fika, breaking daily at 9 and 3 to invite conversation and camaraderie among staff. Other companies are less formal in their implementation either way, fika is an institutionalized mainstay for Swedes.A trailblazer for equality, Iceland has set an impressive standard for parental leave . When an Icelandic family welcomes a new baby, each parent gets three months of parental leave. Then the couple gets an additional three months of leave to share. Each parent earns 80 percent of his or her salary while on leave. The hope is that both parents have an equal chance to learn childcare skills and to bond with the new baby. Courtesy and good manners have a revered place in business practice in The United Arab Emirates . But when doing business in the UAE or in any Muslim country, prayer times should always be respected. They often take priority over any phone call, event or engagement. Whenever youre working or traveling internationally, you want to brush up on cultural dos and donts- for example, dont give your Nigerian colleagues a thumbs up, even when youre doing great work together. The gesture has a completely different connotation in Nigeria than it does in the US, and its considered very offensive in Nigeria You might feel surprised the first time you meet an Argentinian colleague and he or she gives you un beso , a mock kiss, on your right cheek. In both professional and s ocial spheres, un beso is the Argentinian way of showing welcome, respect and affection. While it may feel a bit off-putting to those unaccustomed to it, it is a traditional greeting that is extended with respect and warmth. A Law went into place January 1, 2017 giving Taiwanese professionals two days off per week. Employees in Taiwan have long viewed their loyalty to their employers as their top priority, and they regard personal requests, like time off, as rude. The hard work of its people has yielded economic success for Taiwan, but now the professionals who have created that success want to enjoy it. The new law emphasizes the importance of self-care, child-care and elder-care.

10 misused words that make smart people look stupid

10 misused words that make smart people look stupid10 misused words that make smart people look stupidWere all tempted to use words that were not too familiar with. We throw them around in meetings, e-mails and important documents (such as resumes and client proposals), and they land, like fingernails across a chalkboard, on everyone who has to hear or read them.No matter how talented you are or what youve accomplished, using words incorrectly can change the way people see you and forever cast you in a negative light. You may not think its a big deal, but if your language is driving people up the wall you need to do something about it.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIts the words that we think were using correctly that wreak the most havoc because we dont even realize how poorly were coming across. After all,TalentSmarthas tested the emotional intelligence of more than a 1000000 people and found that self-awareness is the area where most people score the lowest.Were all guilty of this from time to time, myself included.When I write, I hire an editor to review my articles before I post them online. Its bad enough to have a roomful of people witness your blunder and something else entirely to stumble in front of 100,000Often, its the words we perceive as being more correct or sophisticated that catch us by surprise when they dont really mean what we think they do. These words have a tendency to make even really smart people stumble.Ironic vs. Coincidental A lot of people get this wrong. If you break your leg the day before a ski trip, thats notironic- itscoincidental(and bad luck).Ironichas several meanings, all of which include some schriftart of reversal of what was expected. Verbal irony is when a person says one thing but clearly means another. Situational irony is when a result is the opposite of what was expected. O. Henry was a master of situational i rony. In The Gift of the Magi, Jim sells his watch to buy combs for his wifes hair, and she sells her hair to buy a chain for Jims watch. Each character sold something precious to buy a gift for the other, but those gifts were intended for what the other person sold. That is true irony.If you break your leg the day before a ski trip, thatscoincidental.If you drive up to the mountains to ski, and there was more snow back at your house, thatsironic.Affect vs. Effect To make these words even more confusing than they already are, both can be used as either a noun or a verb.Lets start with the verbs.Affectmeans to influence something or someoneeffectmeans to accomplish something. Your job wasaffectedby the organizational restructuring but These changes will beeffectedon Monday.As a noun, aneffectis the result of something The sunny weather had a hugeeffecton sales. Its almost always the right choice because the nounaffectsrefers to an emotional state and is rarely used outside of psychol ogical circles The patientsaffectwas flat.Lie vs. Lay Were all pretty clear on theliethat means an untruth. Its the other usage that trips us up.Liealso means to recline Why dont youliedown and rest?Layrequires an object Laythe book on the table.Lieis something you can do by yourself, but you need an object tolay.Its more confusing in the past tense. The past tense oflieis- you guessed it- lay I lay down for an hour last night. And the past tense oflayis laid Ilaidthe book on the table.Accept vs. Except These two words sound similar but have very different meanings.Acceptmeans to receive something willingly His momacceptedhis explanation or Sheacceptedthe gift graciously.Exceptsignifies exclusion I can attend every meetingexceptthe one next week.To help you remember, note that bothexceptandexclusionbegin withex.Bring vs. Take Bringandtakeboth describe transporting something or someone from one place to another, but the correct usage depends on the speakers point of view. Somebodybri ngssomething to you, but youtakeit to somewhere else Bringme the mail, thentakeyour shoes to your room.Just remember, if the movement is toward you, usebringif the movement is away from you, usetake.Bringing It All TogetherEnglish grammar can be tricky, and, a lot of times, the words that sound right are actually wrong. With words such as those above, you just have to memorize the rules so that when you are about to use them, youll catch yourself in the act and know for certain that youve written or said the right one.What other words do people have trouble with? Please share them (and your thoughts) in the comments section below, as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.This article first appeared on Linkedin.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from jngste im bunde Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people