I have a new boss. Young, just out of school with her 2nd PhD. First job as a Professor. She has managed to totally mismanage me, despite several efforts to tell her what I need to function best. She wants so bad to teach me things I already know way better than her. I am not good at pretending she has been so helpful when in truth she has made things really difficult. I could get by, if she would just quit trying to teach me things I already do, or if she would bother to get to know me. However, I do not think that is on her agenda. What do you do when she wants so bad for you to acknowledge that you are learning from her fabulous new management skills, when you are not good at acting, and really she is just showing her ignorance, and making you very uncomfortable. Is there some ambiguous phrase to say that sounds like you learned something that I will not feel like I am lying if I say it? If it feels false, that will be written all over my face. However, given her insensitivity so far, maybe she won't see it. However, I think I want to keep my job, so I am scared to take that chance. I need a phrase that makes her feel good, that does not feel like lying to me. Help!
Sometimes just asking for help helps! Maybe I'll try " That's interesting, thanks for sharing that!" It's as banal as the things she says which drive me crazy because they are so inauthentic, but maybe it would be the kind of stiff thing she needs to make her go away and leave me alone.
02 Apr 2016, 8:45 pm
