Backup
I know it’s problematic to discuss work issues here but I feel the need to vent.
One of my staff was recently treated poorly by someone not following procedures and I stood up for her and was rebuked rather hard by that person’s superior. The person in charge of the aggressor made some thinly veiled comments that let me believe I would get in trouble for standing up for my people. Now in the past when I’ve asserted myself I generally received some criticism as to how I handled it from my boss.
Not this time. I kept my boss in the loop from the beginning but I handled it myself. Frankly I was a little on edge because the criticism usually came within hours but this time a day had passed without a peep. Was a rather large shoe waiting to drop?
Turns out not only did she seem to completely support my handling of the situation but she seemed more irked than I was! I barely had to say a word because she was putting my feelings into words better than I could!
I must say it feels great to have that kind of support. I guess I took her criticism of previous circumstances to heart and appropriately adjusted my behaviour - it’s hard to judge those things.
I freely admit I can get a little…let’s say fierce in defending my people. But I’d like to think I’ve reigned myself in pretty well. Focused on the facts, informed rather than complained, kept the emotion out, kept an open mind, and apologized in advance for potential misunderstanding.
RV used to call me volatile, now he calls me to be the calm head when he gets riled up, rare as that is.
A former boss once accused me of starting a pissing contest. I’d like to think I’ve learned from these things and thankfully it looks like I have. Because let me tell you not defending my team is NOT an option.
July 5th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
I experience much the same thing at my work too and every situation is different. I think the big problem here is when you stuck up for your person, you went to the offensive party instead of that persons supervisor. If one of my guys treated someone like crap and their boss didn’t come to me first to deal with the problem, I would have his head on a platter; which is probably why buddy freaked. I deal with problems in my section. If a ’superior’ catches word of it, all I have to say is “That problem has been/is being taken care of.” Most of the time it stops there. I rarely (if ever) give any punishments that need to be recorded and I’ve only had to yell at someone a couple times in my entire carreer.
July 6th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
I wasn’t very clear, I DID go to the guy’s supervisor.