I want to be the boss. What to do if the boss criticizes all the time If the boss does nothing

  • 11.08.2021

What should not be done so as not to lose your job? Consider the main mistakes of subordinates, simulating situations on the part of superiors and employees. So what are 7 mistakes that can cost you work?

Met by clothes

You:“I have always believed that it is not necessary to dress beautifully for work, the main thing is a responsible attitude to one's duties. Therefore, I put on what came to my arm in the morning.

Boss:“I doubt that a person who treats his appearance with such carelessness can responsibly fulfill his duties, after all, it’s simply indecent to come to work in sneakers and jeans!”

Appearance is an important part of your career. Follow the dress code, do not allow negligence and sloppiness.

But here, the main thing is not to overdo it. Set aside overly expensive clothes and jewelry for a corporate party, thus you will not put your colleagues and boss, who cannot afford to dress in top things, in an awkward position.

The Importance of Subordination

You:“My boss has always liked me as a person, and I planned to become friends with her. She recently called me into her office to help her with her computer. I decided that it was time to get close to her and told her about the quarrel with my husband. For some reason, she did everything so that I quickly left her office.

Boss:“I recently asked a subordinate for help with a computer, and she told me a story so personal that I had to blush. But we have only business relations with her! She was extremely ruthless."

An important rule of a good worker is the inadmissibility of familiarity and the observance of subordination. Leave personal stories for colleagues.

We do not fall into our own networks

Boss:“I have always been unpleasant girls who put their “beauties” on public display. And, I was upset when I saw too candid photos of my employee on her page, I'm disappointed in her.

Do not forget that the authorities may try to find your profiles on the Internet, therefore, it is better to make them available only to a certain circle of people.

Spoon is good for dinner

You:“I allow myself to often run away from our boss and do not consider such actions bad. I manage to complete my work in less time than the one allotted for it. So, why not leave earlier or come later, I'm doing the job anyway!"

Boss:“I think one of my subordinates will have to say goodbye urgently. I started to detect his disappearances from work a long time ago, but I treated them loyally. Recently, I needed to urgently gather all the employees in the morning, as important personalities arrived. Woe-subordinate had to wait half an hour. In addition to being late, he ruined the image of the company.”

Leaving during working hours or being late without warning the manager is a big mistake, very often punishable by dismissal.

Even if you are one of the best employees, be punctual and do not abuse the trust of your superiors.

own goal

You:“I left my previous job with a real scandal. Having got a new job, I told about the scandalous dismissal with pleasure and in colors. I thought that such a story would arouse sympathy towards me, but after this story, everyone started looking at me badly.

Boss:“I hired a girl and at first I was pleased with her. But, the other day I heard her story about the reason for dismissal from her previous job, she poured a huge amount of dirt on this organization. And, she did not hesitate to insult the former boss, touching on very personal details. It's disgusting"!

At a new job, you need to watch what you say: do not criticize the previous management and place of work. Trying to decorate yourself in this way, you can get the opposite effect.

I don't want and I won't

You:“I am a straightforward person, and if I don’t like something in my work, I don’t hesitate to tell my superiors about it. Especially if it asks me to spend extra time or do something I'm not paid to do. Therefore, if I do not want to work, then I say this directly.

Boss:“I think that the dismissal of one of my subordinates is inevitable. Firstly, he refuses to do everything that I do not pay him. I understand that work is work, but you need to try to remain human and help! And secondly, he ignores even important assignments, for which he just gets the money, and does not hesitate to refuse in a rude manner, although I am the boss here!

Refusing to work in a categorical form: “I can’t”, “I won’t”, “I don’t want to” is a bad idea. If something does not suit you, you need to explain it delicately.

And, if you do not like your work, it is better to refuse it altogether, so as not to torment others and yourself.

Delu - time

You:“My job is monotonous and I get paid for it, so I often allow myself a break for a cup of coffee and a personal conversation with a colleague. The boss doesn’t tell me anything, and I consider my behavior to be normal.”

Boss:“Recently, I went out into the corridor and saw a line of indignant customers. It turned out that the employee was absent from her workplace, and was chatting nicely with a colleague in the next office. I had to remind her that for the rest there is a technical break established by the regulations. Next time I will deprive the award!

The action that will entail dismissal can be considered shirking from work. At work, you should try to do only relevant things.

Everything personal should be postponed until the break, even if no one makes comments to you.

If every time you talk to your boss, you vividly imagine how he signs the order for your dismissal, you should know that you are not alone.

A new large-scale job search survey found that 32% of respondents called their boss "terrible", and only 15% - "great".

A bad leader has a negative impact not only on the career, but also on the personal life of subordinates. A good leader, on the contrary, does everything so that they succeed in all areas.

You must learn to spot bad leaders and "take steps to reduce stress and take control of relationships."

We have compiled a list of 24 signs of a manager who can destroy everything that his employees strive for, and tried to give advice on how to prevent it.

He's lying

A person caught in a lie is unreliable. It is unlikely that you can build a productive relationship with him. "Some people repeat false stories so often that they start believing them themselves," Taylor says. “They try to justify themselves by saying that others are also lying, they try to shift responsibility for their actions to others or hide their mistakes by telling tall tales.”

Some are simply not ready for the consequences that the truth may entail.

"Find out what makes your boss lie," Taylor suggests. "Make sure you have all the information before asking questions. Don't attack him or make sarcastic remarks, just offer to talk openly."

He never admits his mistakes

The ability to admit one's mistakes is highly valued in the professional environment. If the manager refuses to admit that he is wrong, most likely he is not ready to step out of his comfort zone for you.

A national independent study by Lynn Taylor Consulting found that 91% of those surveyed said that a boss's ability to take responsibility for mistakes is an important factor in improving employee satisfaction levels.

"By acknowledging his mistakes, the manager lets his people know that he encourages reasonable risks, without which there can be no innovation," says Taylor.

He makes too many promises

Excessive promises breed mistrust. "Perhaps you were promised a promotion, new responsibilities or a raise, but you never received anything," Taylor describes the situation. - "If personal conversations do not give any results, you can try to communicate on this topic via e-mail. If there is still no answer, there is reason to think."

He often scolds you for wrongdoings and rarely praises you for success.

Did your boss humiliate you in front of your colleagues? Rest assured it will happen again! Good leaders know what to talk about face to face.

In this case, Oliver offers to apologize to the manager behind closed doors.

"It may seem like the wrong step, because you are not to blame for anything. However, if you follow this advice, you can achieve unexpected results," she writes. - "You will establish a special connection with another person. Say:" I blame myself for losing your temper this morning. Obviously, I relied too heavily on you. If you have questions for me, I would prefer to discuss them in private."

Many people like those who look like them. Good leaders know that the foundation of the best teams is diversity. If your boss constantly projects his ideas into what you're doing, use one or two directions and thank you for all the other tips. Be true to yourself, remembering to show that you appreciate outside suggestions.

He tends to be overly controllable.

Did your boss push you too hard and you couldn't get the job done effectively? Perhaps you should prepare for what comes next.

"If the manager wants to get detailed reports of every meeting or call, take notes and send them to him," Oliver suggests. - "He will feel himself in the know and leave you alone."

"Having close contact with an overly demanding leader will dampen his desire to constantly check on you and make him trust you," adds Oliver.

He calls you all the time on weekends

You've worked hard and deserve a break, but your manager doesn't hesitate to call you after hours. In this case, Oliver recommends setting boundaries as early as possible.

"Overbearing bosses are afraid of being separated from their subordinates, but you can deal with that," adds Taylor. - "Consider such a leader as a child who has a crisis of two years, and plan your actions accordingly - day off, leaving or being late, vacation, etc." If you are going to be absent, let us know in advance and state that you are in control of the situation, with all the necessary details.

He makes pets

The desire to have favorites does not allow the manager to appreciate the talents and skills of all employees. Such a boss is unlikely to treat all team members fairly.

"No matter how hard you work and what results you achieve, your pet still gets the best," explains Taylor. - "In such a situation, it is worth keeping a positive attitude and praising your colleagues for their command efforts. This is how you acknowledge the accomplishments of others and demonstrate how recognition affects someone like you."

He doesn't want to listen to your arguments.

Stubborn bosses are very common. "There's a subtle difference between a lack of subordination and a constructive argument," Taylor says. - "If the leader insists on his own, it will be better to obey."

"Don't get into the same argument over and over again. Change your arguments to find a compromise, or try to gather proof that you're right if it's really important to you. Otherwise, you'll win the battle but lose the war."

He's trying to get everyone's attention

When talking about success, some leaders use the word "I" all the time. Some of them "forget" to invite employees to meetings where the results of their work are discussed.

"Perhaps the manager wants to force you out from under the spotlights and take this warm place," Oliver warns.

"The need to defend one's own territory is the hallmark of a bad leader," Taylor adds. "If the boss is taking all the credit for himself, it would be best to talk to him and try to find out the real reasons for this behavior."

He does not give meaningful feedback on the work done.

Have you ever felt like you didn't learn anything from talking to your boss? Suppose there were many words, but they were all lengthy and did not help you in any way. "Perhaps the manager just didn't know what to say or just didn't want to give you helpful advice," says Oliver.

Withholding information gives him some advantage, but it means that he doesn't know how to play in a team.

"You have to decide if you're ready to trust your career to such a person. Most likely, it will be better to look for a team that can help you develop," says Taylor.

He gossips

If a manager spreads gossip about employees, it is strange and very unprofessional. "If your boss is trying to talk to you about someone, stay away diplomatically," Taylor recommends. “Otherwise, you will quickly become an outcast in the team.”

Try to bring the conversation back to a professional level, like "Hmmm, I didn't hear anything like that. But while you're distracted, I'd like to tell you something about Project X..."

He teases employees or tries to flirt with them

"The boss's jokes can be offensive, even if he doesn't notice it himself. After all, subordinates are not equal in status," explains Taylor. "The inability to distinguish between humor and ridicule is a hallmark of people with low emotional intelligence."

Managers who cross a dangerous line and flirt with subordinates behave in an equally unacceptable way. "Flirting is not necessarily sexual harassment," Taylor says. "These can be unwanted comments that sound playful or weird."

If the boss comments on your actions in a friendly way, that's good. If he is overzealous, you have every reason to talk about it.

The leader keeps changing his mind

Sounds familiar? In the morning he says one thing, at dinner - another ...

"Choose the option that will benefit you the most and stick with it," Oliver advises. - "Do not think that you are completely dependent on the leader. Do not ask permission, but inform him of your intentions. If he is against it, he will let you know."

Taylor says fickle bosses are hard to deal with because they often cancel jobs that have already been started. "All this affects the initiative of the team, significantly undermines its morale and performance," she adds.

Taylor advises to wait a little before rushing to fulfill any visit of such a boss. "Also, you can ask innocuous thoughtful questions about his new ideas," she suggests. This can make the manager think, and next time he will be more careful in distributing "urgent" tasks.

He doesn't give you a chance to shine

Few things are more irritating than the chores that need to be done day in and day out, especially after you've voiced your interest in growing and empowering.

"If you feel like your requests are being ignored, you can demonstrate your business skills on an ongoing project or come up with a new innovation idea, learn how your skills can be useful in initiative X or Y, with the permission of the manager, work in another department and acquire a unique experience," Taylor says.

He is passive-aggressive or ignores you

One of the most annoying and obvious signs of a bad leader is that his subordinates never know what to expect from him. "For the most part, employees prefer harsh but open criticism over feigned friendliness and sneaky punches," explains Taylor.

He's inattentive and that's a problem too

"If the leader is not able to keep the attention, this greatly harms motivation. Employees think that they are wasting their time," she says. "Watch the ways your co-workers keep your boss's attention."

He often changes his mood

"Not everyone manages to be consistent all the time. The mood of a bad boss changes too quickly. In the morning he can act sweet and suave, but after an hour he turns into an angry bull," says Taylor. “Of course, you can react violently to his antics and follow suit, or show restraint by quelling the general panic.”

Use a constructive approach, offering rational arguments, such as: "You are right, but the project is due tomorrow, we have plenty of time to finish everything." Remember that the change in the mood of the leader does not always depend on your actions.

He never discusses their future with employees.

Does the boss rarely tell you about what's next and doesn't try to detail the direction of the career path? "A good leader always discusses these issues, and not just assesses the current situation," says Taylor. "He does this on a regular basis and doesn't wait for emergencies like when you get called for a new job."

It's getting harder for you to get up in the morning

If your insides tighten before every meeting with your boss, and you can't bring yourself to get out of bed in the morning, take note. Maybe it's the terrible boss.

"There is nothing worse than doing nothing," Taylor says. "Analyze the situation to see if it's worth your effort. If the answer is yes, you'll have to get diplomacy involved."

He is very easily and often irritated

Nobody likes leaders who can't control themselves. "If you're in that position, check out the job search portal," Taylor advises.

If your boss only occasionally loses his temper, you may have a chance to deal with it.

"Use the CALM algorithm: communicate (Communicate) as often as possible and in a manner familiar to the interlocutor; predict (Anticipate) possible problems and develop solutions in advance; Laugh (Laugh), this will help the leader to maintain rational thinking; manage him (Manage Up), diplomatically setting boundaries and offering ideas," Taylor advises. "When dealing with overly emotional leaders, timeliness is key. Don't prove your point with fanatical zeal, don't go to your boss early in the morning, before dinner, or after he's heard bad news from someone else."

He is self-centered

Does your boss firmly believe that the whole world revolves around him? "Some people instantly turn any conversation to themselves. They start talking about what happened to them, who they talked to, played golf, etc.," says Taylor. You can get the conversation back on track by saying, "How interesting! This reminded me of the assignment you gave me yesterday." After that, do not stop talking until you have the boss's attention.

He always feels like you're not doing enough.

"It's only 8:30 a.m. and your inbox is already bursting with inquiries and directions," Taylor says. - "You work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but the boss is still unhappy."

He must understand that working hours are limited and you cannot do everything well at once. If you don't bring this topic up, the manager will continue to put pressure on you.

He abruptly takes projects away from you

“On Friday you are named chief of the project of the year, but on Monday it turns out that this honor already belongs to someone else,” Taylor describes the situation. "And you feel like the ground has been kicked out from under your feet."

According to her, you can ask for an explanation, but this must be done tactfully. Don't say, "You gave my project to John?!" Collect your thoughts and try not to show strong emotions.

Ask for a face-to-face meeting and say, "I want to push myself to the limit, so I had high hopes for that project. Why did the plans change?"

"Maybe your boss doesn't just treat you this way. Don't think you're any different than everyone else," Taylor advises. - "If you regularly lose projects, try to figure out the trend in the behavior of the boss. Ask for certain tasks and analyze the answers."

They are ruled by irrational fear

If a manager acts as if the world is going to end tomorrow, his fear spreads throughout the office and prevents employees from focusing on work. "Become a role model for him by asking what-if questions and pointing out the positives and the real facts," Taylor advises.

businessinsider.com, translation: Airapetova Olga

  • Career and Self-development

Keywords:

1 -1

If you and your boss are different personality types, but do not think about it - it can greatly spoil the life of both of you. However, this can be avoided! How? Read simple, like all ingenious, recipes.

A lot of advice on the topic of finding mutual understanding boils down, in fact, to the recommendation to become so white and fluffy so that you can speak his language with everyone and behave in such a way that the interlocutor is comfortable.

I suggest going the other way. We need to understand where we differ from each other, and find easy-to-apply rules that will allow us to work together. But at the same time, everyone should remain themselves, that is, work in a mode convenient for themselves.

The fact is that absolutely all people, without exception, are divided into systematic and situational. Planned - these are those for which it is normal to perform all their actions only with preliminary preparation.

Situational - these are those for which it is normal to act without preparation, according to the situation. They do it better that way. At this point, all their senses are sharpened, and they can better take into account all the nuances of the situation in their decision. If you force them to write plans and prepare in advance, then the result will be much worse.

Now let's imagine that one of them is the boss of the other. Let's see what problems arise in this case and how we can deal with them. Immediately make a reservation that in this article we consider everything only from the position of a subordinate. Recommendations on how to behave to superiors is a topic for a separate personal conversation.

A situational boss with a planned subordinate

Typical problem situations:

  • First they fill me with work, and then they scold me for doing what I was not instructed to do.

A situational boss calls a planned subordinate and discusses one or more problems with him. After all, he never prepares in advance for an action. For him, now the process of understanding the problem is the action being performed.

But in the eyes of a planned subordinate, the boss behaves as if he had begun preparations for solving the problem. That is, he began to solve it.

What is the result?

After discussing several different issues and ending the meeting, the boss thinks that the action is over and the issue is settled. And his subordinate left the meeting in full confidence that he was instructed to solve all the problems discussed.

After some time, having compensated for the lack of resources with labor exploits, the subordinate will bring to the boss a report on the completed assignments. And, most likely, instead of praise for his diligence, he will be punished for an initiative that no one needs. Since the boss was not at all going to order all this to be done. He was just consulting. No more.

  • I regularly get canceled or changed projects that I have already fully prepared

A planned subordinate was preparing a project for a long time. I developed, prepared solutions, coordinated with other participants, etc. And now, finally, the project is completely ready, and it remains only to approve and launch it for execution. He came to the boss for formal approval, and the boss cancels the project altogether or changes it so significantly that all the preparation actually needs to be started all over again.

The attitude of the subordinate (especially if he understands this functional issue better than the boss) - all the work is down the drain for unknown reasons. After all, everything has already been agreed with everyone. It is especially disappointing if the subordinate could make all decisions by his own authority and came to the boss for a formal preliminary approval only out of a sense of subordination.

Solution to the problem

A systematic subordinate can significantly facilitate his work with a situational boss with simultaneous use the following rules:

  • Rule of three nails.
  • Do it first, report later.

First, about the nails. This rule was invented in an old Soviet joke, in which a successful collective farm chairman never followed all instructions coming from the district, but first hung them on a nail driven into the wall. After another reminder - outweighed on the next nail. And only if he was required to fulfill what was already hanging on the third nail, did he begin to follow the instructions. Most of the instructions did not reach the third nail, they were forgotten before.

The rule is old, but it suits us well. Nails can be replaced with folders, drawers in a desk, or anything else. The quantity must be determined empirically, depending on the speed of the change in the situation and the personal qualities of the situational leader.

With this approach, the boss can no longer change anything at the last moment - after all, the job has already been done. When trying to accuse a subordinate of doing something without permission, you need to carefully remind that the problem has already been discussed many times (by the number of reminders) with the boss. And that it was during the last discussion that the boss ordered to do just that.

Expected Result

A systematic subordinate will get rid of a huge amount of unnecessary work and will be able to freely show initiative in the execution of instructions.

Situational subordinate versus planned boss

Typical problem situations:

  • I am constantly forced to work when I have no strength, and at moments of high activity they do not allow me to work, and then they scold me for not doing what I was entrusted with.

The fact is that in systematic and situational physical performance manifests itself in different ways.

The schedule of activity of the planned will resemble a straight line or a very smooth curve. That is, its performance will be approximately at the same level with slight fluctuations. And almost always it will be positive.

In contrast, the situational activity graph will resemble a sinusoid. There will be periods of increased activity when he will be able to work 16 or more hours a day. But there will also be periods of complete decline, when it will be efficient only a few hours a day, or its activity will be generally negative.

Now let's see how this manifests itself in work. A planned boss methodically and regularly gives orders to a situational subordinate. Moreover, from the point of view of the chief, these are precisely the orders to be executed.

The situational subordinate does not always perceive these orders as orders. And then he is completely sincerely perplexed why he is scolded for non-performance, because he was simply consulted (see the situation described in the previous section). Moreover, he receives some orders during those periods when he is in a state of decline. He, perhaps, would be glad to fulfill them, but there is no strength. And when he is in a state of recovery, he is not allowed to work much and is driven home from work on time.

  • I am scolded for being late with the deadlines for the execution of assignments

It is much easier for a systematic person to calculate his resources, especially temporary ones. Therefore, as a rule, he is rarely late and completes his projects on time. And the situational one acts according to the situation, which often changes, so it is very difficult for him to calculate his strength and he is much more likely to be late.

Solution to the problem

The productivity of a situational subordinate can increase significantly, and he can facilitate his interaction with a planned boss while applying the following rules:

    Go to performance appraisal.

    Set project deadlines no less than the full cycle of your activity.

    Write down all assignments and carry out when you have the strength.

First of all, you need to wash or roll to achieve an assessment of your activities only according to the results. The process style is focused on a strict sequence of actions. Do it once, do it two, do it three... and in the end you will get the desired result.

For example, it might look like this. Everyone in the company arrives at work by 9:00 and leaves at 19:00. And the average work week is 9 x 5 = 45 hours. Then the proposal to the boss should look like this: “Let me come to work between 9 and 10 o’clock, and also sometimes stay after work, and I promise you that, taking into account all the late arrivals and my overtime, I will work an average of at least 48 hours per week, i.e. 3 more hours per week than others.”

And the last. You need to get yourself a notebook in which to write down all the orders received. Especially those that are given to you during the decline of your activity.

That's it, put all the rules together - and see how it works.

As a result, all long-term projects will definitely fall into a period of increased activity and will be completed during working hours or due to overtime work. Small orders are executed immediately. If there is no strength, we do nothing; if there is a lot of strength, we work until we complete all the written orders and everything that was unfinished during the decline.

Thus, at the moment of a breakdown, the situational performs only the most urgent assignments, and only accumulates the rest of the work. And at the time of the rise of forces, he fulfills all the accumulated orders. That is, it works in a lazy emergency mode that is convenient for itself.

Expected Result

A situational subordinate will get the opportunity to do everything that he is entrusted with in a mode convenient for him, while simultaneously getting rid of the stress associated with deadlines. Its performance should be greatly improved. As well as job satisfaction and reputation in the eyes of superiors.

According to E-xecutive

Here we will talk about how to approach work. The following tips will help you worry less about failures at work, learn to stand up for your rights as an employee, not be afraid of your bosses, and find a balance between life and work.

I was prompted to write this article by the negative experience of many of my acquaintances who take work too seriously, are too emotionally involved in the events that take place in their office. And therefore, intrigues and incidents at work make them worry a lot, thinking about work even in their free time.

My past work experience also served as the basis for this article. Once I let the employer exploit me, stayed at work and saw it as a priority over my personal life. Now I no longer make that mistake. And I want to tell you about the rules that help me protect my personal life from work, stop worrying about mistakes, because of the attitude of my superiors, and consider work activities as serving my own, and not other people's interests.

This post is mainly about . But I think my advice can help workers of all kinds.

Rule 1 - Work for money, not for an idea

This is an obvious statement, don't you think? But, as often happens, people forget the most banal things. And this is facilitated, including, by your employer. It is more profitable for an employer that an employee works mainly for an idea, and only then for money. Why?

A person who understands that the meaning of his work is his salary is very difficult to exploit.

He will not stay a whole month after work, forgetting about family or personal life when he is not paid for it. He will not miss the opportunity to move to another place of work with more favorable working conditions, because he works for money. He will not do a lot of work that is not related to his field of activity if he does not receive financial compensation for this.

He will appeal to the law that regulates labor relations in controversial situations, instead of silently agreeing with the most absurd demands of employers.
Therefore, many corporations seek to find employees with a desire to work "for the idea" and this desire is encouraged in every possible way in the process of work.

Despite the fact that modern corporations are products of capitalist societies, they also contain many features of socialist formations within themselves. A "cult of the leader" is being created, a regulation of corporate values. The purpose of the company and the collective good are elevated to the rank of the highest interest in the work of each employee. An ideological atmosphere is created, in the environment of which the employee works not for the benefit of his own prosperity, but for the benefit of the company, team, society!

They try to convince people that, despite the fact that they earn money by working in a company, they are here for something more than just mercantile interests. And in order to maintain such conviction in people, organizations resort to a variety of different means: trainings, speeches by managers, propaganda, awards, awarding regalia and titles (“employee of the year”), brand exploitation, imposing patriotism on a corporate scale, etc. etc.

How absurd the use of these tools goes depends on the particular company. In large Western corporations (Western - not in geographical terms, but in relation to the business building model: Japanese, Korean firms can also be attributed to this model, like many domestic organizations), corporate patriotism is cultivated more strongly than in all other firms.

Is it bad? Not always. On the one hand, there is nothing wrong with the fact that the company is looking for dedicated employees, that it is trying to create incentives for them to work, in addition to money, thereby increasing their interest in the work process.

On the other hand, patriotism, loyalty, corporate values ​​can serve as justifications for the exploitation of personnel for unscrupulous employers. Many companies don't care about anything other than their profits. They do not care about your personal life and your personal interests, it is beneficial for them that you work as hard as possible and as much as possible. And the more you work and the less you ask, the more profitable your work is for the managers and shareholders of the firm, but the less it is beneficial for yourself.

Working “for an idea” also gives rise to a lot of unnecessary worries and frustrations. For a person who works for money, the worst case scenario at work would be his dismissal. He may be afraid that he will not be paid, or will not be paid on time, or he will not receive a bonus. If he made a mistake in his work, he would not lament about it, because he would not necessarily be fired for this?

A person who works for an idea (or for the sake of satisfying his own ambitions) may be afraid that his efforts will not be paid attention to by his superiors, that his colleagues will not admire his professionalism. An employee “for the idea” treats his mistakes at work as a personal tragedy, as proof of his personal failure.

Employees for the idea come sick to work, stay in the office until late, work on weekends, even if they are not paid. For the sake of work, they are ready to neglect their own health, their personal lives and their families. Corporations look upon such behavior as a virtue, although, in my opinion, it is only a form of morbid obsession, subservience and dependence.

By working for money, you have less emotional attachment to work.

By doing this, you become connected to your work with fewer strings that the employer can pull in their own interests, and not in yours. And the less you are attached to it, the less frustration you experience and the more space you have to think about something other than work. As a result, you begin to relate to failures more easily, you forget about work when you come home, reprimanding your superiors does not turn into a personal drama for you, and work intrigues pass you by.

So always remind yourself why you go to work. You are here to earn money, provide for your family. The worst thing that can happen here is that you get fired. For some, dismissal is a critical event, for some it is not, since a job can always be found. But, in any case, dismissal does not mean that you will be anathematized, made a traitor to the Motherland. It just means leaving your current job and looking for a new place and new opportunities.

Work is only a means to an end! This is not a goal for which you must sacrifice your family, your health and your happiness.

To work for money means not only to refuse to work primarily “for an idea”. It means not working to satisfy your passions and ambitions. If you work in order to command, to put pressure on people, to seem important to yourself, then you will perceive any failure at work as a challenge to self-esteem and, as a result, you will take failures to heart.

Please do not think that I want to force you to give up your love for what you love, replacing it with cold pragmatism. Love your job, but do not turn this love into a painful addiction! In everything you need to observe the measure.

And I found a better job than the one I had before. The new place did not live up to my expectations and after a month I found an even better place. I still work there (note: I worked there at the time of this writing. I currently work for myself).

Maximum? Exactly. And who said that you should ask the employer for a salary corresponding to the average salary in the market? Why not get paid above average?

Firstly, it is difficult to talk about the average salary if you do not know what is happening in the labor market. (The only way for the average employee to find out about this is to go to interviews, as I wrote)

Secondly, the average salary is like the average temperature in a hospital. Why should you be guided by this figure at all?

Go to interviews, don't be afraid to ask for a higher salary than what you are currently being paid, and look at the reaction of a potential employer. Different companies pay differently. Somewhere they will laugh at your requests, but somewhere they will make you an offer and will pay as much as you ask. Be prepared for anything, visit many different companies, see how things are going there.

Otherwise, you will think that it is impossible to earn more than 50 thousand in your position, working in Moscow. Usually people do not tell anyone about their salary, because "it's the way it is." But this unspoken rule sometimes works against us. We do not know how much our colleagues earn, how much our friends earn, because no one tells anyone such information.

As a result, it becomes more difficult for us to adequately assess the amount of our salary, and therefore we put up with what we are offered. But what if you found out that your office colleague, who works as long as you work, receives 80 thousand? Wouldn't your 50,000 still seem worthy compensation to you then?

(I really have come across such situations more than once when different employees of the same class were paid differently in the same company! Not because they had different experiences, but because one asked for more, the second for less at the interview! will offer more than you ask for, even if they are ready for it.)

Personally, I try to tell my friends how much they pay me if they ask me, and I try to get similar information from them in order to understand what the situation is in the market now and what my position in this market is. Do I need to change something? Is there another possibility?

Of course, I don’t talk about my salary to just anyone, but this issue can be discussed with friends or close colleagues.

Rule 8 - Don't be afraid to lose your job

Your organization is most likely not unique. If you live in a large city, especially in Moscow, then there are many places where you can work even on the best conditions.
Search, learn, explore, develop. And do not be afraid that if you are fired from this company, your life will end. You may find something else. Don't be afraid to lose this place.

There is nothing wrong with this. Moreover, dismissal is not only grief, it is a chance. Chance to find something better!

Therefore, do not let your superiors blackmail you and intimidate you with dismissal. Moreover, not only you will have problems in connection with your dismissal, but the organization in which you work, since the company will have to look for a new employee and train him. So it is not known who else will have more problems.

At my first job, I did not cope well with the work due to the same inattention and excitement. They began to scare me with dismissal, so they probably wanted to.

I still didn't like working for this organization. So I said, "OK, I'll quit myself." I was not seven spans in my forehead, I was an ordinary, slow, green university graduate. But even such a person the company tried to keep! As soon as I said that I would quit myself, they began to dissuade me from this decision.

It was not profitable for the company to look for another person, despite the fact that I had only been working for a few months and did not know much yet. Perhaps they thought that I was not doing well because of my inexperience and that I needed time to gather my strength and do a quality job. In this they were not mistaken, time passed and I eliminated my shortcomings. Now I'm doing pretty well with both my main job and my second job (this site).

But I still left this company and got a job for more money and better conditions.

Conclusion: the dismissal is not only a loss for you, but also for the company. No one will fire you without the most compelling reasons to do so.

If you want to quit of your own free will, but are afraid that you will let someone down, betray, then discard these stupid doubts! It is not necessary to perceive the company as a ship in which each employee moves towards a common goal along with other employees. Do not think that if you leave this ship, you betray the general idea.

In fact, the purpose of the company is solely the purpose of the owners of this company and shareholders. In order to achieve their goal on their "ship", they hire rowers who are paid for their work. If you want to transfer to another ship where you are paid more, why not do it? Would you betray your fellow rowers? No, because they will still be paid no matter where the ship ends up (unless it gets caught in a storm). It may be harder for them to row after you leave, but the captain will find a replacement for you. Especially for each of your colleagues, just as you have the choice to leave the ship.

Your goal and the goal of your colleagues on this ship is to row and earn money for yourself and your family.
The captain's goal is some distant island. But, having reached this island, will the captain share its treasures with you? No, he only pays you to row!

Therefore, you do not need to identify your goal with the goal of the corporation. You should not identify your colleagues to whom you have become attached with the heads of the organization. There is a captain, and the rowers are hired workers.

This understanding will help you become less attached to your office and, as a result, worry less about work. After all, there are always other possibilities! And at your current place of work, the light does not come down like a wedge.

Rule 9 - Know the Labor Law

Did you know that weekend work is paid double? Do you know that if they want to fire you, then you are required to pay several salaries (Unless, of course, you are fired under the article)?

Now you know. Study the law, do not let unscrupulous employers exploit your ignorance of the law. The company is required by law to pay overtime. You have the right to have your work paid in full.

Of course, domestic organizations often circumvent the law. For example, this happens in firms with a "gray" part of the salary. In such organizations, an employee has fewer rights: he can be fired just like that, he may not be paid, or his salary may be reduced without warning. This does not mean that I do not recommend working in such firms. But still, I consider the absence of a “gray” salary to be an essential criterion for choosing a job. If the company works "in the white" - this is a big plus.

I am writing about this because many do not think about it and consider tax avoidance to be the most natural thing! When I went to interviews, I asked the question: “Do you have a white salary?”
They looked at me in surprise and answered: “White ?? Of course not! So what?"

And the fact that I, as an employee, is at great risk when I work in such an organization. Most often, everything can be dispensed with and if the organization is normal, you will be paid. But you are not immune from anything. If the company has problems, if it faces the need to reduce employees, you can simply be easily released on all four sides (or simply reduce your salary by half) with virtually no compensation.

Remember, breaking the law and denying you your legal rights is not the norm!

Knowing the law will help you stand up for your rights and make your job easier. After all, you have rights, which means there are guarantees, which means there are fewer reasons for concern.

Rule 10 - Home is separate from work

After work, put all thoughts of her out of your head. Think of something else. Leave all your worries about an unfulfilled plan, a report not sent at your workplace. Work is not the most important thing in life. For many of us, it's just a way to make money. All the endless working intrigues, conflicts, unfulfilled obligations are all nonsense, trifles.

Many of us do not decide the fate of people at work, but are just links in a huge organism that works in the interests of shareholders and owners of a corporation. Is your role in this system really that important to you?

All the activities of the corporation are the employment of some people, the dividends of other people, and access to certain benefits of third people. All corporations together form the market, which has the function of distributing goods and services in society.

It is undeniably useful and helps to organize social relations. Such a system is not an absolute evil. But is it worth deifying this car? To deify the role of the cog in it? Relax! Take this role easy! Didn't get the job done? It's OK. Get it out of your head if the work day is already over. Think about it tomorrow, as the heroine of a famous novel used to say.

Stop obsessing over your work. There are many things in life that need your attention and participation. Work is not your whole life.

Some people are proud of the fact that they give themselves so selflessly to work, they are ready to give up everything in order to please the authorities, to help the development of the company. They see it as nobility, loyalty and a certain kind of heroism. I don’t see anything in this other than escaping from my problems, dependence (workaholism), selfishness, weakness, servility to authorities, narrow-mindedness, lack of interests and hobbies.

Your family needs you more than your boss. Your health is more important than any money. Life was not created to be a hero at work for 12 hours every day until retirement. If you devote your whole life only to work, then what will you achieve in the end? Money? Confessions?

Why do you need all this if you have wasted years of your life in vain? This will make you a hero in the eyes of your boss, but is that all you want?

The endless pursuit of money, recognition, fulfillment of the plan, authority and prestige - this is the pursuit of emptiness! There will be nothing at the end, even though it may seem to you now that this is the highest goal!

Work is only a means. A tool to realize your life goals. Work should be subordinated to these goals, and not vice versa. If you treat work as a means, you will be much less frustrated by failure. Your head will become much less stuffed with work matters. You will be able to think of something else besides work. And understand what you really want, what is the true purpose of your life ...

Conclusion – no need to demonstrate knowledge of these rules at work

As I already wrote, I used to be very worried about work and worried a lot about the result. I was ready to stay late, ignoring my wife's desire to be with me at least in the evening. I did it because I thought that “this is how it should be”, that this is the most important thing, that work is “everything”.

But then my attitude to life in general and to work in particular began to change (I wrote about this in an article). I realized that there are many things in life more important than work and work should be subordinated to my life, and not vice versa.

Some people are so arranged that when they suddenly understand something important, come to some new conviction, they give themselves to this conviction with all the passion of a new discovery! Only after some time do they manage to find a balance between their discoveries and the demands of the outside world.

Therefore, when I got tired of worrying about failures, when I realized that work is not the main thing, I began to treat it with demonstrative indifference. When colleagues again began to accuse me of being wrong, and because of me some client would not receive their goods today, instead of clutching my head, blaming myself and apologizing (as I did before), I calmly said, “so what? What is it? and turned to the monitor.

From extreme to extreme. This of course was not entirely correct on my part. But what was, was. My new reaction was also understandable.

You should not take an example from me in this case and sharply revise your line of behavior at work. Take the work easier, but do not show obvious indifference. If you make a mistake, calmly draw conclusions, try not to make mistakes in the future and openly admit your mistakes. Just don't worry about it, that's all.

If you used to stay at work all the time, let someone else’s work be blamed on you, and suddenly you got tired of it, then you don’t have to immediately leave the workplace as soon as it hits 18-00 without doing your job (of course you can do this, if not at all cherish this place. People do not expect this from you and expect that the work will be done. Therefore, everyone should be prepared for the fact that you will no longer sit up late and do someone else's work. Warn people about this so they are ready. Warn new employers right at the interview that you will not agree to free processing.

I'm not trying to educate you some kind of nihilists, I just want you to take your work easier, have other interests in life besides it, do not allow corporations to exploit their own labor!

I also don't try to raise bad workers. If you do not treat work with fanaticism, this does not mean that you will become a negligent employee. On the contrary, you will perform many tasks better if you do not worry too much about possible failure.

The influence of human emotions on effective decision making can be traced in poker. This is a game that I love very much for its versatility. Winning it depends not only on luck, but also on the ability to play.

I think any poker professional will confirm the following thesis. If a player is very worried about the result, worried about the mistakes made, he will start to play even worse, make the wrong decisions and make even more mistakes.

Calmness, control of emotions, calm attitude to losses - the key to success in poker. If a player is strongly emotionally involved in the game, if his goal is to teach other players a lesson, to prove something to someone, to be the very first, and if he is mortally afraid of defeat, he will most likely endure it.

Therefore, approach work the same way a good player approaches the game: calmly and with a cool head. Do not make work a field for the realization of your ambitions and the resolution of your complexes. Your life and dignity are not at stake. Work is not the most important thing in life. Relax!

As a last word of advice, I would advise you not to demonstrate knowledge of these rules in the interview. The employer expects from you that you will work for the idea of ​​the prosperity of the company or for the idea of ​​personal professional development, but not for money! Because it is difficult to exploit a worker for money!

If this is expected of you, then play by the rules of the employer and show with your appearance and answers that professional development, the opportunity to work in such a great company is more important for you than money.
I wrote about this in an article.

I hope these tips are helpful to you. Some of them are more suitable for young people living in big cities, where there is a rich choice of work. But, I am sure that the advice to take it easier on work is suitable for any employees, of any age and profession!

Criticism is not for everyone. For some, it helps to improve, while for others it only hinders personal development. But you can't do without it either. I propose to analyze the "typology" of business criticism and learn how to respond productively to it.

Types of business criticism

Empty criticism

Criticism unrelated to your business success. It is caused only by the personal problems of a colleague, in our case, the leader: tyranny, the desire to throw out negativity, revenge for unrequited sympathy, envy, projection (remind the leader of a person with whom he had a strong conflict), impoliteness (the leader appreciates you, but encourages you to work not in a very humane way).

It is difficult to draw conclusions from the flow of such criticism, since it is unstructured and contradictory (either the manager does not like that you work slowly, then your haste infuriates him), contains only nit-picking (I do not like your voice, your frequent blinking, you looked wrong, the papers on your desk are at the wrong angle). Empty criticism is usually presented to the public, on various occasions, with arrogance, contempt and obvious pleasure on the face of the critic.

How to behave?

In no case should you talk with such a leader “for life”, talking about family troubles, victories, you should not say anything bad about colleagues. In general, conduct fewer confidential conversations, because, on occasion, such a leader can blame someone else on you, set you up or fire you, saving your reputation.

It is also dangerous to defiantly oppose such a leader, to discuss him in a team.

Stay calm, don't let yourself be thrown off track. Politely and confidently make it clear to the manager that he can evaluate only your professional qualities. When he calms down, you can also clarify the working issues that were affected in the conflict: for example, the timing of the work, labor discipline, dress code, your specific duties, etc.

Professional criticism

Contains indications of specific blunders and outright wrongdoing. Perhaps such criticism came to you from other colleagues as well (it means that you are definitely doing something wrong). Professional criticism is well-reasoned (many examples, proofs), expressed in private. But the option of presenting professional criticism already depends on the intelligence, education of the leader and how frequent your mistakes are. For example, if you constantly make the same mistakes in reports, then the most diplomatic top manager will explode.

A leader who criticizes you professionally understands that “he who does nothing is not mistaken,” and therefore your knowledge, skills and abilities suit him, only part of them should be corrected.

How to behave?

It is categorically impossible to remain silent, “bury your head in the sand”, pretend that everything is fine. Since in the case of silence or covering up traces, the leader's trust in you will decrease. Let him find out about the mistake from you, and not from that harmful accountant. It is also not recommended to shift responsibility too often to others. Yes, sometimes our work suffers from the disorganization of colleagues, but if we constantly complain about them, we will not be taken seriously either.

If you made a mistake in any case, next time do a similar task for 100%. Work on the mistakes - find the real reason for your mistake. For example, you had high blood pressure and you "floated" at work - take care of your health. Or you were constantly distracted by phone calls - create a diary and enter all the necessary information there to plan the day.

Or maybe you just need to start taking your duties more seriously?