BUSINESS & CAREER

HOW TO SOLVE ISSUES AT YOUR OFFICE

WHO YOU CAN TURN TO WHEN YOU CAN’T COUNT ON HR (OR YOUR BOSS)

By Dana Hundley

LET’S SAY YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DIRECT MANAGER IS GOING SOUTH, QUICKLY. THERE’S ZERO COMMUNICATION OR LITTLE SUPPORT, AND YOUR INTERACTIONS ARE TERSE AT BEST. IT’S TIME TO TURN TO AN INSIDE ALLY. THESE PEOPLE KNOW THE OFFICE CULTURE—AND HOPEFULLY YOUR MANAGER—BACKWARD AND FORWARD, SO THEY CAN EASILY OFFER GUIDANCE ON INTERPERSONAL ISSUES.

When your company doesn’t have a dedicated or reliable HR team (or any HR employees at all), dealing with certain workplace issues or questions can be intimidating—especially if you don’t have the best relationship with your boss or the issue in question is with your boss. This doesn’t mean you’re completely alone. All you need are allies to help guide and empower you to make the right call.

There are several different kinds of allies you can turn to. They can help you express your frustrations, come up with a thoughtful solution, and formulate a detailed and professional plan so that you’re prepared to Vœ˜w`i˜ÌÞ…>˜`i܅>Ì“ˆ}…Ì be an uncomfortable conversation. Remember, you don’t have to rely on just one ally—pick a combination of people that makes sense for you and your particular situation. People you can turn to, can be in two categories; Internal and external people. 1PVJGKPVGTPCNECVGIQT[[QWECPEQWPVQPVJGHQNNQYKPIRGQRNG #*KTKPI/CPCIGTWho else did you interview with to get your job besides your boss? Suggest meeting with them for a coffee date offsite—they’re the ones who most likely work closely with your manager and understand what makes them tick. They also probably know you and how you work, so they can tailor their responses accordingly. #6TWUVGF%QNNGCIWG Do you have a relationship with another manager or colleague you trust and respect? This shouldn’t be your work best friend who

you vent to at happy hour, but someone you have more of a professional relationship with. />«̅ˆÃ«iÀܘvœÀ>Vœ˜w`i˜Ìˆ> meeting to ask for advice.

1P6JG'ZVGTPCNECVGIQT[[QWECPEQWPVQPVJGHQNNQYKPIRGQRNG #6JKTF2CTV[*4%QORCP[ While your company may not have HR onsite, they may work with a third-party vendor to help ܈̅œ˜‡Lœ>À`ˆ˜}]Li˜iwÌÃ]>˜` payroll. Sometimes this even includes access to HR consultants who can help you navigate tricky ˆÃÃÕið …iVŽޜÕÀLi˜iwÌà paperwork for a phone number you can call or a website you can check for resources. #%CTGGT%QCEJWhy not entrust someone who’s done this before, a lot? Many career coaches and consultants will create tailored strategies, example scripts, and go through mock conversations to make sure you’re equipped to handle any `ˆvwVՏÌÈÌÕ>̈œ˜Ã>ÌܜÀŽ°

“WHAT IF THE ISSUE IS JUST TOO COMPLEX FOR YOUR NON-HR ALLIES TO HANDLE? IT’S TIME TO CALL IN AN EXPERT FROM THE OUTSIDE TO COACH YOU THROUGH IT. THIS PERSON MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SIT IN THE MEETING WITH YOU, BUT THEY HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED AND CAN BE YOUR CHEERLEADERS ALONG THE WAY.”

Armed with the support and guidance from your allies, it’s time to address that issue head on. Navigating workplace problems is never easy, and it’s even “œÀi`ˆvwVՏÌ܈̅œÕÌ,]LÕÌLÞ building a trusted team that can help you with various aspects of a tricky situation, you can handle just about anything.

All Picture Courtesy of Abdul Jamal