My Administrative Assistant wants to meet with my boss to complain about me (tips, degree)
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I would definitely meet with her but not over lunch. This type of lunch, to me, indicates that you are peers. If you are her boss, meet in your office. You can work out the differences there. Keep a detailed report of the meeting and have it ready for your boss.
Has she come to you with her complaints? Is this protocol for chain of command? It seems like she is being a bit smarmy. She is an adult and should be able to handle this in a mature, respectful, forthright manner with you.
Yesterday my boss called me in his office for a long meeting. He told me he had a hour long meeting with my administrative assistant who was in tears. She told him I was destroying the Office Operations Department, which I head, by my illogical and crazy business decisions.
Between tears she had developed a long list of my mistakes and errors in approach on a number of inititives our department had worked on. She would have done things differently if she was in charge.
Of course as with most management issues, there is quite a bit of discretion on how things should be done. Business like politics is not an exact science. I stood by my decisions.
What happened is the administrative assistant was able to create doubt in my bosses eyes about my decisions and abilities. He gave her the impression that she could have future meetings with him, just the two of them to discuss my failings and bad decisions.
I was told to work out my differences with my administrative assistant, not for her to clean up her act. I was also told to not fire her without his OK. She won this battle.
I have to ask. What are the sexes in regards to you and your boss (I know your assistant is a woman from the "She won this battle" part.
After that, you may as well dust off your resume because your Assistant now has the upper hand on you and even your ability to lay off an employee has been taken away. Your boss has already started pulling your performance record (I would) and you will be under a microscope from here on out. Your work environment will change, you will have to walk on eggshells around your assistant and your boss has already stated that you have less credibility than your assistant by not even hearing your side of the story. Get yourself out there and prepare to hand in your walking papers. IMO.
Both your boss and Tina are pathetic. It's the "Power of P", she has it and uses it to her advantage. You can't compete with her and your boss is taken in by her "P". Run quick and don't look back.
Yesterday my boss called me in his office for a long meeting. He told me he had a hour long meeting with my administrative assistant who was in tears. She told him I was destroying the Office Operations Department, which I head, by my illogical and crazy business decisions.
Between tears she had developed a long list of my mistakes and errors in approach on a number of inititives our department had worked on. She would have done things differently if she was in charge.
Of course as with most management issues, there is quite a bit of discretion on how things should be done. Business like politics is not an exact science. I stood by my decisions.
What happened is the administrative assistant was able to create doubt in my bosses eyes about my decisions and abilities. He gave her the impression that she could have future meetings with him, just the two of them to discuss my failings and bad decisions.
I was told to work out my differences with my administrative assistant, not for her to clean up her act. I was also told to not fire her without his OK. She won this battle.
How do you know that "He gave her the impression that she could have future meetings with him, just the two of them to discuss my failings and bad decisions?"
How do you know that "He gave her the impression that she could have future meetings with him, just the two of them to discuss my failings and bad decisions?"
My boss (a man) told me that he may meet alone with my Administrative Assistant to discuss my management skills. I told him that would be fine as long as I was involved in the meeting and she had met with me individually to try to work things out. He disagreed.
Tina is a Women, I am a man and the boss is a man.
Tina, my administrative assistant, is full of self confidence and poise and looks like a fashion model.
This happened to me this week in that I am the boss and an employee came to me about his boss. His boss reports to me.
First of all, I know my direct report very well and his work speaks for itself. I have seen how he treats people and do not doubt his skills.
After sorting it out I found out that the staff member had never even voiced his concerns with his boss. I told him to take up his issues with his boss and that if they couldn't work it out together to let me know. Then I called my direct report in, told him what had happened, let him know that I support him and hoped that he would work the differences out.
My takeaway? Due to my good relationship with my direct report I knew that this was most likely a personality problem between two people. I knew that the "tattle-tale" employee does not follow chain of command and is not as mature as I had hoped. He will not be advancing anytime soon with me. In turn, my direct report feels supported and good about himself and will be more productive with not having to worry about petty stuff. Of course, he does have a problem employee to work on but that's the way it goes.
My advice is to grow closer, if possible, with your own boss. Communicate communicate communicate. Try to bury the hatchet with the tattle -tale admin, but never turn your back to her. The old saying keep your friends close but your enemies closer works here. Ask your admin's opinion, allow her to feel valuable; give her assignments that have value and praise her.
If none of that is palatable look for another job. You are in a precarious situation there at the moment. You are in the driver's seat in my opinion; not her. Seize the moment. Good luck.
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Updated from the OP
