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Well, yesterday I started a new job working as sales manger for a local hotel.
Presumably, I got the job because I know what I am doing. I've been in marketing for a very long time and really understand the market and the demographics of this little town.
At first the "boss" was all over the place with what he wanted to do with his marketing - ok, I wrote it off to "enthusiasm". I wrote it off to someone who doesn't have a clue. Now I am beginning to wonder.
Today (day #2 of employment), we had a meeting to go over the marketing plan that I have spent the past two days writing. It's a DRAFT, I just wanted his input. Yeah, right.
He did not even LOOK at the marketing plan, but instead launched into his hyper litany of how he wants to do this, and this, and that and that - not bothering to think through ANY of this. Just running amok with one disjointed thought after another. And somehow EXPECTING me to follow his train of thought and do these things.
He doesn't listen to a word I say. He just LAUNCHES. Yada, yada, yada, on and on and on. My choices are to follow his lead and get *nothing* accomplished; waste all my time an energy hopping around like a bunny with his butt on fire *or* do things the proper way and risk ticking him off because I'm not doing it the way HE wants it done. (Which of course, has never worked in the past the reason I THOUGHT, he hired me).
There is no one higher to take this to. He is the owner.
Put it in an e-mail. Take your marketing plan and shorten it to three or four very high level bullets. Then at the end of the e-mail, ask him to give you a time and date that you can sit down to discuss these specific ideas. At the meeting take the reigns, and keep redirecting him back to each of those four points.
Maybe you can say something like, all your ideas are great but I am used to working on one thing at a time so we can carry out one idea at a time and see how successful that it.
I don't know, you can tell him doing one thing at a time (A promotion, an ad, whatever...) is a way to track how much business that idea brings in.
If you hop around, you will have no idea what works and what doesn't and that is a waste of money..
How bad do you need the job? If not that bad then I would just say you need to sit down and talk expectations with him-both your and his expectations.
I was just offered a job and I think I am going to take it, but after my last crazy job (marketing that sounds a lot like your boss, lol!) I learned my lesson and in 3 of our interviews I also made my expectations very clear.
good luck to you!
If you start trying to do things "his" way, it will end badly. I had a boss like that and because he wasn't present at the job site much, it ended badly, because he really had no clue how things were or what went on daily.
Branson, he hired you because he thinks you're the right person for the job. You need to help him remember this fact. Have a sit down and let him know that he has a lot of good ideas but, without thinking them through in an overall plan, they're doomed. Help him get past tactical and view the overall strategy. If you can move him a bit more toward the long term and how some of his ideas are good pieces of the plan, all can move in the right direction. But first, he has to remember that he hired you because of your expertise and that he needs to leverage that experience.
Why not just modify your plan to include some of what he wants and then turn it in. All he can say is no.Here is where you find out if you skils are as good as you think they are in managing the owner to a succdessful conclusion.
Learning to manage upwards is tricky. Take over but continue to make him feel like he's in control. Present your points in brief questions answerable by yes or no. I've had to do this with my boss. I can't get on his calendar, he does not reply to e-mails. So I'd stand by his door and say "We've got to meet to discuss [ ]. I need half an hour. What's a good time for you. I've already notified xxx to attend and I've made copies of the agenda and exhibits." He rarely has a chance to say no, or make an excuse or postpone it anymore.
Last edited by BagongBuhay; 08-06-2009 at 06:31 PM..
Why not just modify your plan to include almost all of what he wants and then turn it in.
This is the correct answer with the corrections bolded..
He doesn't want your ideas, he wants validation on his.
Remember the golden rule. He who owns the gold rules.
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