Managing the Boss

How to handle a boss who's a hoarder

One admin writes, “My boss carried several boxes of files into the office one day because his wife told him to remove them from their garage. They have been sitting in the office for more than two years! Every time I try to straighten up his office, he won’t let me throw anything away.” What can she do about a boss who’s a hoarder?

4 tips for breaking in a new boss

Strike the right chord with a new boss by trying these tactics from other experienced administrative pros:

Making progress toward meaningful work

According to a recent poll, Americans are unsatisfied with their work and their lives. People of all ages, and across income levels, are unhappy with their supervisors and not engaged with what they do. What, if anything, can you do about this dismal state of affairs?

When the boss steals your idea

Is it a problem when your boss takes credit for your ideas? Peter Handal, CEO of Dale Carnegie Training, says “no.” Making your boss look smart to higher-ups, says Handal, and having your boss depend on you for good suggestions—“is certainly not going to do you any harm.”

Work with a bad boss?

Nearly half (46%) of employees say they’ve worked for an unreasonable manager. Most (59%) stayed in their jobs, despite working with a bad boss, according to an OfficeTeam survey.

Does your boss struggle to lead?

Good news for the bosses of the world: Most employees (59%) say their direct supervisors are doing a good or even great job. However, 20% of the respondents to the CareerBuilder.com survey say their supervisors’ performance is poor or very poor. The biggest gripes?

7 questions to better admin-exec rapport

In your relationship with your boss, who sets the tone for the relationship? Your boss? Test your assumption. You probably have more power than you think to shape the way you work together. Ask yourself these seven questions to improve your relationship:

6 solutions for a chronically late boss

Problem: An administrative assistant works for several Johnny-come-lately bosses who think nothing of showing up late for meetings. What can she do to thwart the rude habit? Some of our readers had solutions:

Build buy-in to get managers on track

A frustrated admin recently vented on our online forum: “I’m at my wit’s end!" None of the managers was “participating” in her attempts to keep the office organized. Our advice: Start over by telling managers how a tracking system ben­efits them.

Trust is key to admin-boss relationship

The best executive assistants are indispensable. But, initially, many have trouble developing the trust and understanding needed for a strong assistant-boss relationship. Trudy Vitti knows how difficult the initial steps of a new assistant-boss relationship can be ...

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