Tammi's World

Business - it's about Respect

Being a manager of people takes a special kind of person. You have to understand that business is business. Not everyone is going to like you, and that's OK. Oh they should respect you - but you have to earn that. You must be able to follow through but be able to delegate. Some folks are micro managers, I just know NOT to work for them. That doesn't work so well for me.

I've managed. I've trained. I do both pretty well. I have no problem walking that "business is business & friendship is friendship" line. And I've been told while not the most beloved of managers I do inspire respect. I work my ass off.

So, my poor boss is in deep shit. He's making good decisions and then just letting everyone walk all over him. In his frustration - he vents on the wrong party. The man is falling fast on the Respect-O-Meter. (And he didn't have far to fall in the first place.)

Let me see if I can explain. I was hired because I can work either side of a desk. I am a very good account manager. I hit details and build relationships. For some reason, I can make things happen. Oh, there are issues, but I can usually work through them and folks walk away feeling pretty good about what happened. I'm learning this business and this company. Not doing too bad, if I must say so myself.

So they assign me accounts to call on. That makes me inside/outside. That's ok. It's a good opportunity.

But the other outside guys hate the idea. In fact I am getting no cooperation at all. To the point that THEY are visiting my accounts and introducing themselves as the new sales rep.

My boss is mad at me about it. He is doing nothing.

I'm the new kid on the block. It is NOT my place to tell these guys to back off. To tell them to listen to the boss. When I made placement assignments you can bet your bottom dollar not everyone was happy, but NO ONE ever pulled a stunt like this on me. Well, they did. Once.

So I now have to find a way to help these gentlemen understand that they need to STAY THE HELL AWAY from my accounts.

Damn, office politics can be a pain in the ass sometimes. And I'm just not feeling so diplomatic right now.

Posted by Tammi at September 28, 2005 05:48 AM