I recently started work
at a new company and I've swiftly come to realise that my immediate boss isn't up
to her job. Despite this, she is constantly finding spurious reasons to criticise my work. I'm loath to go over her head to complain because she socialises with her superiors. What can I do?
The first thing you need to do is to have a rational conversation with her. Rather than going in all guns blazing and telling her she's no good at her job, focus on your own work and the criticisms she has made of it. Say something like, "There must be a gap between what I thought I was delivering and what you think I am delivering, so please explain to me what I'm getting wrong. It's not helpful if you and I aren't working well together."
Criticising the boss is not going to end anywhere other than a shouting match so this approach should force her to actually tell you what, if anything, you need to improve and flush out any issues. It's key that you remain calm, professional and ensure that you both don't end up getting emotional.
If things still don't improve, you'll need to take it further – if you have to take it over her head then let her know as there is nothing worse than secret meetings going on behind people's backs. Regarding her socialising with her superiors, if the management structure is correct then this should not be an issue. As long as you keep it on a sound business footing and don't allow emotions to take over, it will be very hard for your bosses to argue against you.
Deborah Meaden is author of Common Sense Rules (Random House, £7.99). Read more advice from Deborah Meaden.
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