your manager's been on a tear lately, ignoring your e-mails and assigning impossible deadlines. don't take it personally: even well-paid top dogs feel insecure at work now and again and take their frustrations out on their underlings. lynn taylor, author of tame your terrible office tyrant (tot), decodes what your boss's barbs really mean and how best to deflect them.
she says: "i know it's late, but have it ready for me by tomorrow morning."
she means: yes, this is a ridiculous deadline that can only lead to mediocre results--but my superiors are on my case to get it done asap.
what you do: involve her in the process by asking, "given such a tight deadline, what would you do to make this a success?" soliciting her guidance makes it more difficult for her to blame you later if things go badly.
she says: "where have you been all afternoon?"
she means: i'm a little needy right now and want you by my side 24/7.
what you do: sell her on the upside of your absence: "i took our clients to lunch, and i think i convinced them to renew their contract with us!" next time, be sure to remind her the day before, the morning of, and an hour prior to heading out of the office, and leave a note explicitly saying when you'll be back.
she says: nothing—she hasn't responded to any of your e-mails in days.
she means: i'm incredibly busy. don't e-mail me unless it's urgent.
what you do: first, stop pinging her about minor matters. then, be direct with her about the best way to communicate. taylor suggests something like, "i know you're inundated. would it be easier for you if i asked your assistant to set up a meeting for us to review my questions and ideas?"
she says: "you haven't finished the report yet?!"
she means: i may be blowing this out of proportion, but i'm overwhelmed and, yes, i'm taking it out on you.
what you do: the simple truth is that your boss needs to vent periodically—and you're the unlucky sap standing in front of her when she blows. just be professional—no trembling lower lip, ladies! she'll probably pop by later to smooth things over. accept her peace offering and move on.
你的经理最近沉湎于寻欢作乐，忽视了你的邮件，委派了一堆你不可能完成的工作。别把这些都当成是你自己的事情：即使你是那个拿着高薪，深感不安，并且一次又一次地触及他们失望底线的家伙。琳·泰勒，《驯服你办公室可怕的暴君》一书作者，在书中(译者加)泰勒就写到如果抚平你老板的“刺”，就是说如何最好地扭转他们的观念(译者加)。
她说：“我知道这已经迟了，但是这必须从明天早晨就开始。”
她的意思是：是的，这是一个可笑的最后期限，只能带来普通不过的结果——但是，我的上司在同样的境遇下，就得到了最快的回复。
你该怎么做：用提问直接把她带入流程，“给我这么紧的最后期限，你想要怎样的结果?”请求她的指导，把这件事弄得看起来更难一些，如果事情变得很糟，这将使她免于责备你。
她说：“你整个下午都做了什么?”
她的意思是：我现在要求紧了一点，是希望你七天二十四小时都在我掌控范围内。(意译)
你该怎么做：说服她站在你的立场上：“我花了一下午的时间说服我们的客户，我想让他们确定签下和我们的合同!”下次，记得在前一天就提醒她，早晨，你将离开办公室外出，并留下一张便签告诉她你会在什么时间段回来。
她说：“没事——我并没有回复你一天中的任何一封email。”
她的意思是：我确实很忙，如果没有急事不要给我发邮件。
你该怎么做：第一，别再用小事去麻烦她。然后，直接告诉她交流的最佳途径，泰勒建议你可以这样说：“我知道你已经被麻烦填满了，如果我让你的助手为我们准备一个会来重新阐述我的问题和观点，事情会不会变得容易些呢?”
她说：“你竟然还没有完成那份报告?”
她的意思是：我可能在这个时候爆发了，但是我已经不知所措了，是的，我请你出去。
你该怎么做：显而易见的事实是，你的老板需要找个借口发脾气——而你很不幸成为了她发泄时站在她面前的那个人。变得职业点吧——“不要泄气，女士!”她将很快消气，重新回到正轨上来。而你要做的是(译者加)，接受她心平气和的感谢并且表示感激。