Does Your Boss Make Unreasonable Demands?

Community Manager — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:53:00 GMT

Virtually anyone who has ever collected a paycheck has struggled at one time or another with demands that seem unreasonable. There's the boss who habitually calls you in at 5:30pm for tasks knowing your must-depart-at-6pm-to-relieve-the-babysitter-deadline. Or a higher up who thinks nothing of calling and emailing requests 24/7.

It's unlikely that many people are asked to field calls from scorned wives while their bosses dally with subordinates as in this U.S. Today article. But plenty of employees have had their back-up-against-the-wall moments of feeling pushed to the limit.

Tired of trying to tackle the excessive, the extreme, and the awkward? The comprehensive article Coping with Unreasonable Demands lays out (in a flowchart!) great advice for addressing demands that seem unreasonable.

In a nut shell, the article describes working through the following steps when faced with a demand that seems unreasonable:

Check your information and assumptions: Do you clearly understand the scope of the demand? At first blush, a request may seem onerous but if you ask questions, you may learn the scope is smaller than you imagined or you have a longer deadline. You know what they say about jumping to conclusions didn't you? Make sure you have all your facts straight.
Consider the other person's perspective: If you're working at maximum capacity and are asked to add a project, this can seem unreasonable. But consider that your boss might not know what's on your plate. Sometimes being asked to work long hours can seem unreasonable but perhaps your new job has a different work culture than your old. Is everyone on the team burning the midnight oil? Perhaps late hours are reasonable in your new role.
Explain your perceptions assertively: When a demand is truly unreasonable, speak up and clearly and neutrally explain your viewpoint. Suggest solutions that may be amenable to both parties; you may find a receptive audience.
Agree or disagree, and managing the consequences: Not all unreasonable demands need to be met but you need to be aware of the consequences of not going along with a demand. Sometimes the consequence is so negative that it outweighs the unpleasantness of meeting the demand. And other times you will find that the consequence is not serious enough to warrant compliance. So professionally let your boss know why you won't be able to help at this time and be sure to let them know that you if your circumstance, or the request changes, that you'll be all ears.

How do you manage unreasonable demands from a boss? What is the most unreasonable demand you've encountered at work? Share your thoughts here and at the Pendaflex Facebook page.

The Leader Within

Community Manager — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:32:00 GMT

Think you have it in you to become the boss? Consider these five leadership traits from Entrepeneur.com and see how you stack up.

Vision: Effective leaders not only have a vision of where they're heading, they can communicate that goal and bring others along.

Passion: Effective leaders do what they love and love what they do. A leader's true commitment to their message, cause or company makes others willing to trust in that individual to chart an effective course.

Decision Making: The buck stops here. An effective leader can make the tough calls. A leader works to achieve group consensus when appropriate but can take sole responsibility when necessary.

Team Builder: If you're going to be a great leader, you need followers (aka there is no "I" in team.) Leaders designate effectively, encourage and promote their subordinates strengths and inspire teams to do great work. And when need be, leaders step in and guide by example.

Character: To thine own self be true. A great leader has strength of character: they know their strong suits (and weaknesses) and are not tempted by fads or expediency. A leader remains true to their essential character and can be trusted to remain constant.

Finally, remember that other qualities can be important leadership traits. Harvard Business Review blogger John Baldoni makes the case for humility as a leadership trait. Baldoni says
"A sense of humility is essential to leadership because it authenticates a person's humanity." Baldoni suggests that leaders, "Take pride in what you have done, but use it as a platform to bring people together to do greater things, e.g. increase sales, improve quality, or save the planet. Use your leadership for something other than self-aggrandizement."

What other traits might be useful leadership qualities? How do you define leadership? Can leadership traits be learned or are they innate? Share your thoughts here and at the Beyond Folders Facebook page.

by Bradley Eggers

Beyond Folders : communication, leadership

Does Your Boss Make Unreasonable Demands?

The Leader Within