[Vnbiz] How to be a good follower?

Sun Dec 3 22:53:21 PST 2006

Dear CACC,

  Thanks much for all of your sound advice. I will compile it to make a short article and handle it to fresh graduates before they go to work. Actually I don't want these kind of matters influence their strong passion. I myself know that we have lots of opportunities out there. However, what I meant is finding if there is a way to deal with it and resignation is the last solution.

  Again, your ideas about these are extremely helpful, for myself and for others.

  Regards all,

  Trang Vu

"Tea (Tuy-Phuong) LeTran" <tealetran at gmail.com> wrote:
  [ Vietnam Business Forum ]

  Hi Trang and CACC,

  Usually a good leader or a good follower, must have the most four important skills.  That is, the ability to be courageous, the ability to be sincere or truthful, the ability to communicate, and the ability to listen to others.  Your story reminded me of an experience I encounter a few years ago when I was working for MCI Telecommunication Co. under Bill McGowan leadership.  At the time Bill McGowan was an excellence leader and MCI was rated the second best manage company in the USA.  Unfortunately in any corporate environment you'll find some employees taking advantages from other employees. 

  Like you, I had a very unreasonable manager who always demanded impossible things from his group and sometime he forgot what his demand were.  Once, I was given a project, by him, to complete within 3 days.  From the first review of the document I knew it was absolutely impossible (because in order to finish the job to meet the dead line without any breaks, I would need about 6 working days).  I then called for a one on one meeting with him to discussed the project.  I informed him that if he really needed that project within 3 days - then he must get me more help - because it was humanly impossible for me to complete the job working alone within that short amount of time.  Of course, he refused to listen but told me I just had to do it.  I got to thinking, If I really want to keep my employee record clear for the performance review coming up in 3 weeks, I'd better call for a second meeting with the director of the department (his boss).  So I asked for a meeting with him
 and his boss.  After I presented my case, lo and behold, my problem was solved.  I got help from two other fellow employees so we can meet the dead line.  I even managed to get a written assignment for my project from both of them. 

  So, my suggestion to you is, asking for a meeting with your boss behind close door, one on one, to discuss your problem.  Perhaps you should ask him what did you do wrong ?  Did you do something to offend him in anyway ?  What are his exspectations of you ?  What can you do to improve the situation ?  What can he do to help you to improve the situation ?  Maybe you should ask him for a written job description of your job. Every time you finish a job you should make sure you have him verify and check off.  You should listen to his version of his problem as well and try not to be defensive.   

  If you are not successfully calling for a meeting with him, then you should follow the chain of command.
  Go to the upper level of management.  Just be patience and be courageous.  You will be surprise how upper management level respect a well communicated employee.  Especially a courageous one.

  The thing is, if you do not do something to correct the situation from the begining, the problem will continue to persist, and you'll have so much stress, and stress will damage your health in the long run, to the point it might kill you.  So, it's not worth it to condemn yourself over someone appear to be unfit for a manager, right ? 

  Hope that my experience will help you somehow.  But life is not always what we expect.  Sometimes whatever you try, an SOB is an SOB.  In that case, try to be happy while looking for another job.

  Good luck and you will be in my prayer.

  Good day to all,
  Tuy-Phuong 

  On 12/3/06, Pham Thanh Nhon <nhonpt at gmail.com> wrote:     [ Vietnam Business Forum ]

  Hi Ms. Trang,

  I myself was in your experiences with my manager. The way I did was resign my job. I think that all of us always look for a best manager in kind of friendly, passionate, manageable...However, I realize that we have to spend much time for it. It's not easy to find out a suitable manager because people usually pay attention on job, not on who will work with them. 

  In your case, I would like to recommend the book One Minute Manager for your reference. You can easy find it in bookstore. The way is making a paper agreement paper between you and your manager about what you will do and achieve. It mentions your task description, goals of task, timelines...Just this way to remain you and your manager what is going on. If you manager don't agree this kind of solution, asking he why (of course). You has mentioned how to maintain a good relationship with your boss even failure of solution, but I don't think so. You should manage well your relationship but it's not good to depend on it. If your manager is too conservative, leave he immediately. 

  On 12/3/06, Vu Thi Huyen Trang <glayten at yahoo.com > wrote:     [ Vietnam Business Forum ]

  Dear CACC,

  I would like to ask for your help as I know most of you are some kind of leaders. I even read many things about leadership.Therefore, up to a certain degree, I know how to be a good leader. However, as I know, most of people start as a follower. So my question is "How to be a good follower?", how to deal with different kinds of managers, leaders.

  In my own experience, I had a big failure to deal with my CFO. He is a kind of manager that could shout at employees in front of many people. One of another problem is that he usually forgets what he told others to do. He changed his mind and then shouted when the result was not like his respect. How could I deal with him, for best result that I could finish my tasks and maintain a best relationship? 
  Additionally, I know that young people and fresh graduates usually resign because of these kind of matters. I hope that all of you could give me advice so that I could make some kind of "Do's and Dont's" to help myself and others. 

  Thanks and Regards. 

  Trang Vu

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