Message #4629

[andrea843]

Oh Boy, here goes Andrea not being popular again.  Doesn't anyone see the larger picture here? That of total non regard by Deidre's employer?



It's an employer's job in addition to whatever service he provides, or product he sells to make sure that his employees are directed, motivated and assured of their place within a given organization. Without those key ingredients there is no organization.



In this case, Deidre, your employer apparently heard your plea for help and then didn't bother to bring you in on the process of finding it.  



Further he/she apparently hasn't bothered to inform you what your status is.  Are you the supervisor? Just another face in the crowd? Has no one spoken to you about your new place & responsiblities? Don't assume because this individual is being brought in to "help" you that she's your subordinate.  



I bring in the FedEx guy every day to help me but I don't write his performance review.



Should you "thank your lucky stars" that you HAVE help? Or begin to wonder if your employer could be more aware of your needs?  Nothing and I do mean "nothing" about this profession will change until people stop being grateful for crumbs and begin to insist on being treated like the professionals they are.



Andrea's advice:  Get to the partners immediately and get a clarification of your status. If you ARE the supervisor in this case approach the new employee as a supervisor and not as a competitor.  For like it or not my  new friend, you are competing, and while I don't view competition as a necessarily bad thing, I do view it as counterproductive at times. And it's counterproductive for you now.



Competition should have it's roots in a need to excel, not in a need to protect one's job.  



In a worst case scenario, what if this person HAS been brought in to replace you, what can you do about it? Can you realistically change your employers mind about that? Probably not.  So what can you do to help yourself feel better?



Try a little self talk.  There was a time in my life, that I was so unsure about my skills and my potential that I took a talisman,, (in my case a bronze medallion that I'd won) and every once in awhile would spend just five minutes looking at it. Being completely egocentric about it too.



Those self talk sessions were eventually tranformed into more self assurance and higher productvity.   In short I became able to learn and to excel because I made myself believe that I could. Find your own talisman, be it a picture of your child, a visualization, a college catalog,, anything that takes your mind to a place where you have MORE personal power than you do now.  Use it daily.



In the best Case scenario, you are this individuals supervisor and need to acquire the skills to be her supervisor.



In either case, your letter is symptomatic of a much larger problem,,, that of the employer who forgets to treat his admin like a professional.  Do you think for ONE instant that if a new VP was being brought in, that existing officers wouldn't be assured of their place in the new Org chart?



Calling attention to this kind of treatment, getting proactive, not reactive will benefit you, with increased confidence in your worth and increased marketability as a professional and not a doormat.



should you fall at the employers feet and thank him for getting you help? No.  He's providing help to get HIS job done.  Would you call up Ford motors and thank them profusely for putting the brakes in your new car? Of course not.  Now you might call and compliment them on the efficiency of their new braking system,,,, but should you thank them for something they should have provided in the first place the basic method of stopping the car?



When you do approach your employer, forget about talking to them about YOUR work and how it should be seen, talk to them about the COMPANY'S work.



"As you know our marketing efforts are confined mainly to mailings, I think Susie will be a big assist in that area" (Take ownership and achieve partnership at the same time, note the OUR statement combined with an I Statement)



as opposed to "oh thank you so much for bringing Susie in, I couldn't handle those mail outs all by my self anymore!". (Being a victim unable to handle things. Needing to be rescued by the employer on his white steed ,,, supplication at it's finest)



Which one shows you as a professional and which one shows you as poor lil ol' admin relying on bossie to make everything all right? Consider your approach to the boss carefully and stop competing with the new person for fear of losing your job.  



DO your job, know in your heart that you're doing the BEST posssible job, self-talk a bit about how great you are,, and allow your self to be a professional!



'nuff said.

Andrea lover of all things.....respected, in Charleston