Blah, Blah, Blah In Your Dreams Sisterhood
Anita said…
Cyberscribe,
Did your boss do anything specific that was “unprocedural” that you can point to or is it simply your opinion that he messed up because he was new?
Second, even though they tell you to sign your evaluation even if you don’t agree with it–it doesn’t mean you agree and so forth. Don’t sign it until you can find out what you want to do or can do. Tell them you want to add some comments or attach a document etc. and you’ll sign it after you add or review the procedures etc. (Tell them nicely and humbly-maybe ask for a couple of days) You could then “confidentially” ask advice of your union rep or a trusted colleague or even human resources.
Can you make an appointment with your boss? Tell him you’re really concerned about making sure you help the schools meet his goals. You know, bring an outline of what your schools are doing and ask his help in articulating the goals your schools should be doing. Also ask his help in setting benchmarks to measure progress of those goals. At the same time, you could chart out where what your schools have done to show how aligned or unaligned they are to the benchmarks. Include next steps. Type of the summary of the meeting and send it to him. Maybe you could bring him lunch or invite him to lunch in your office so you guys can meet etc….Tell him you want to show off your cooking or your deli purchasing skills.
Just some suggestions. I don’t know if you wanted them or not.
Peace out–
Anita
12:17 PM
You state: I’m at this point trying to decide how to handle the next meeting. I think the challenge is that I have knowledge that he doesn’t due to my research, but he’s the boss and needs to feel in charge. I’ve got to find a way that we can be a team. Hopefully sharing my knowledge with him to keep him up to date will help. But I also hope that we can finally sit down and clear up some of the total confusion that has happened since the beginning of the year. I also need to find a way to do things his way, whether I believe they work or not.
This is where I think you need to think differently. If you think you have more knowledge than him, he knows you think this. Therefore, you will go into the meeting trying to educate him in a “nice” way which will only make him more irritated with you. It doesn’t matter if you act like you know more or not, it is his perception that you think you know more if you try to “educate” him. And no matter how subtle, he will see it as that cause he is looking for it. Now is not the time to do that. You need to be a yes man, for at least a year, then educate. GO into the meeting with the what can I do for you attitude and hold your knowledge inside. Try to even think of something he does way better than you and tell him you want to learn from him how to do that the way he does. Remember, you can’t use your knowledge at any point in time to help the district if you do not have a job.
Unprocedural, yes…he didn’t give me a preliminary evaluation where he sat down with me and explained the process, and went over job descriptions. He just had me fill out my own paper, then he signed it and passed it in (sound familiar again?).
Took care of the evaluation by writing a rebuttal (5 pages worth), and signing the evaluation but putting next to my signature that a rebuttal was attached (they gave me five days to do this — it’s evidently a regular procedure). Of course, this probably made him madder. Not sure I want to go to the union at this point yet. I feel it’s still salvagable, and if I do that, then it will make things worse.
The week after I got the evaluation, I did exactly what you described … made a chart of my schools, and where I thought they were at. I sent it to him in an email, politely asking for input. The email was ignored. I also took that chart to the Director of Schools for my feeder area, and asked her input on what I could do. She agreed with most of what I had done, and gave me a couple more pointers. I also shared the chart with my colleagues and asked for their input, getting a couple more tips, but nothing substantial.
Of course, I think the 2 emails I sent to him following this chart concerning next year’s budget was what really made him angry, and accusing me of the “p war”. The fact that I sent it to his boss as well was what put it in that category. And the fact that the budget wound up doing more what I wanted than what he wanted made it worse (meaning his boss agreed with me).
However,since our meeting on Friday, I sent him my regular Friday report, and stated that we really needed to meet, that I was now doubting every decision I made, and signed it “Deeply depressed” (which I was at the time). As a result, we have made plans to meet first thing tomorrow morning. Emails have been civil for both of us.
I’m at this point trying to decide how to handle the next meeting. I think the challenge is that I have knowledge that he doesn’t due to my research, but he’s the boss and needs to feel in charge. I’ve got to find a way that we can be a team. Hopefully sharing my knowledge with him to keep him up to date will help. But I also hope that we can finally sit down and clear up some of the total confusion that has happened since the beginning of the year. I also need to find a way to do things his way, whether I believe they work or not.
Will keep you updated….
Trying to stay calm and relaxed, but not losing my perspective… hoping for the best..
CybrScrybe