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Attorney boss expects me to read his mind, but firm doesn't provide crystal balls
Posted by: legalbeagle
Date: 10/7/2004 12:13:36 AM
I have worked for this attorney for three months and I just can't seem to get on the same page with him. I have some pretty big shoes to fill because his previous secretary was with him for 17 years. No matter how hard I try to do things the way he wants it, he criticizes and corrects me. His irritation level with me seems to be increasing exponentially. I've been a legal secretary for seven years, so I know how to do the legal part of the job. My difficulty lies in the fact that he'll ask me to do something (i.e. make travel arrangements, set up conference calls) and not indicate any specific preferences to me. So I will make the travel arrangements, and he complains about the hotel, or I will set the conference call and he tells me that he doesn't like the phone service that I used. I offer to correct it if I am still able to and he always says "No." So I don't even have the satisfaction of "fixing" the mistake. He tells me after the fact that it should have been done another way. It is driving me insane. When I was hired for this job, everyone at the firm said he was so nice and never got angry at his secretary and treated her really well. I do not find this to be the case at all. He barks at me and criticizes me at every turn. I am trying to toughen up and I always smile and say thank you when he corrects me, but it is tearing me up inside. How can I not take this personally? I feel as if my very presence irritates him and I want to shrink under my desk when he comes out of his office. Initially, my boss will react with "Who did this?" or "What is this?" After I try to explain, he barks, "For your information, it should have been done this way" or he'll say, "Let me educate you on this matter.." Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this?
| Reply from: |
chinakat |
| Date: |
10/7/2004 11:56:00 AM |
| Reply: |
I would start by sitting down with your boss and having a talk. Allow for time, not when either of you are in a hurry. I am in a similar situation of filling the shoes of someone who was my boss' secretary for 20 years. The problem is that he got used to the way she did things, and she learned how to anticipate his needs and learned over time how he liked things done.
Explain to him that you two are still getting to know each other and until things settle down you need to know specifics. If he asks you to book a hotel, ask him king or 2 queens, high or low floor, how many stars, do you need to be near anything (downtown, airport, etc)? Hopefully he is just bad at communicating his frustration at having to start over, and will see your effort at smoothing things out. |
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| Reply from: |
legalbeagle |
| Date: |
10/7/2004 11:10:00 PM |
| Reply: |
Thank you for your excellent advice, chinakat. I can tell that you speak from experience. It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one. It is clear from what you say that this is probably not a "personal" thing and that more communication on my part will put my boss and I on the right track. Many thanks! |
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| Reply from: |
natalie |
| Date: |
10/8/2004 3:42:00 AM |
| Reply: |
thanks for your advice to my problematic boss, you made me feel lots better... and it's funny because I was replying to your problem last night when my computer crashed, I was going to say, if the former secretary left on a good note-is there any way you could contact/meet her for some tips, I think she would be flattered and the best source of help for your problem, good luck. he sounds well stuck in his ways very tiring for you. |
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| Reply from: |
legalbeagle |
| Date: |
10/9/2004 12:08:00 AM |
| Reply: |
Good idea, Natalie. I was able to meet the former secretary. She actually trained me on the desk for a day. She's actually been by the office to visit. I know that she e-mails my boss frequently, so they are in close communication. Sometimes I wonder if he complains to her about me. I try not to get too paranoid about it. I know my boss is having family difficulties right now which may be causing him to have mood swings at work. Perhaps she could enlighten me as to how my boss is behaving now compared to how he was before she left. It is possible that his frustration doesn't really have anything to do with me. It's still not right to take it out on me, though. Like you, I enjoy my job, but working for someone who can't control their tempers and moods takes all the fun out of it. Thank you for your input. I appreciate it. |
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