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Veterinary Practice News Editorial Blog:
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Bad Boss, or Porcupine in Disguise?
By Katherine Dobbs, RVT, CVPM, PHR
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 Do you have a boss who is driving you crazy? Does he or she seem to be a porcupine weaving their way through the staff on the floor, ready to eject quills at a moment’s notice when they boil over suddenly? Have you told them they’re driving you nuts, and making you all feel on edge? Or have you just told anyone else who would listen—your coworkers, your boyfriend, your mom, your cat. Can any of them really help you? Not really, and they may require heaping portions of fresh catnip just to stay and listen to you rant!
Bosses can be the practice owner, the hospital administrator, the practice manager, the lead technician, the shift leader, basically anyone who has the authority to tell you what to do (or what not to do). Bosses can be many things—stubborn, short-sighted, unrealistic, clueless. Yet one thing they can never be is a mind reader. That’s right, there is no crystal ball that is handed to you once you take a position of authority over others. You won’t even find one on Ebay…I’ve tried.
If you have an issue with your boss, you have to tell them! So what has stopped you from expressing your frustration? If they seem too busy, ask to schedule a meeting at a time convenient for both of you. If they seem too clueless, come prepared to give examples of the problem, and how it is interfering with patient care, client service, or your job satisfaction. If they seem too stubborn, come with possible solutions to the problem…bosses LOVE solutions, even if it doesn’t turn out to be the particular route they take in the end. If they seem too uncaring, well, have you TRIED? No, this isn’t the time for tears or dramatic scenes, and in fact certain bosses will either just completely shut down at the mere hint of emotional turmoil, or just tell you what you want to hear to get you out of the office…but essentially do nothing to change the state of affairs. Yet you may be pleasantly surprised, and find out that boss of yours is really a big softy under all those quills…it just takes some well-timed communication to get through to them.
Yet if they still seem unconcerned, even after you’ve tried your best, go one step over their head. There should be a chain of command in every organization, and a way to resolve issues with your direct supervisor or boss. Many policy manuals call this Conflict Resolution, and even if it’s not a written protocol in your practice, there should exist an understanding that everyone’s needs are important. If the problem is the practice owner, and you’ve now bumped the ceiling of that organizational chart, then try again…then try deciding what you really want from your career, and if this place is the right fit for you. What do you have to lose, except a bad boss with an armor of quills poised and ready for action!
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Bad Boss, or Porcupine in Disguise?
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