[AdminLisa]

Anyone have any advice for working with a boss that doesn't let you help or take on more responsibility? I've been working for a small business for over 2 years now (though most of that has only been part time since things were slow - hoping to be full time again soon)and I like my job and my boss is probably the kindest boss I have ever worked for. Problem is he is type who is always running in a million directions and is in the field most of the time running projects. I'm basically the one running the office, handling the paperwork and basic office tasks. I know he is extremely busy and I believe that I can help him out with more than just pushing paperwork and answering phones, but he doesn't seem to want me too. Most of the time I don't even know when he's going to be in the office or what projects he's working on from day to day and it's frustrating. I only find out things when he calls needing something or comes in and gives me a quick update. He says he wants me to offically become the office manager once I'm back to full time, but I just don't see how it's going to work if I don't know half of what's going on. I want the opportunity to be the executive assistant who really supports her boss and is on top of all that is going with the business, but how can I when my boss wants to do everything himself?

[Jeannine312]

Hi Lisa,

This is a common issue. My suggestion would be two fold.
#1 Communication- Sit down with your boss and let him know that you would like to give him the best quality of work possible and that in order to do so, you need to him to communicate with you more about the projects he has and when he will and will not be in the office.
#2 Create an Issues and Resolutions Sheet- Take the issues you know he faces and you know you can help with and write them down. Then outline just how you suggest going about helping with those issues. I have found that sometimes bosses just don't know how to delegate or properly utilize their assistant. So concrete suggestions can help!

[Momof3]

I would add that you might want to take this in incremental steps. Perhaps he's the show me, don't tell me type of boss who needs proof that you can do what you say.

During your discussion about improving communications, you might identify a few small things that you feel should be handed over and shadow him for a while. Once he's comfortable that you know how to handle these small things, he will be more likely to entrust you with more and more responsiblity.

I'm curious, though, what "pushing paperwork" means? Is it filing and answering general correspondence? Or is it issuing invoices and collecting Accounts Receivables, placing orders and paying invoices, doing the payroll and taxes, completing RFPs and applications? In other words, "office management". These tasks may feel like "pushing paperwork" but are vitally important to the success of his small business. Perhaps he's worried that you might get overwhelmed and something important might get dropped. It's been known to happen - in large organizations as well as small.

I would heartily recommend that you have a frank discussion with him before you consider taking on this job. It doesn't sound like you're happy now and, unless you can come to some arrangement, that's not likely to change when you go full-time.

Best of luck to you!

[pgueuning]

Originally Posted by AdminLisa

Anyone have any advice for working with a boss that doesn't let you help or take on more responsibility? I've been working for a small business for over 2 years now (though most of that has only been part time since things were slow - hoping to be full time again soon)and I like my job and my boss is probably the kindest boss I have ever worked for. Problem is he is type who is always running in a million directions and is in the field most of the time running projects. I'm basically the one running the office, handling the paperwork and basic office tasks. I know he is extremely busy and I believe that I can help him out with more than just pushing paperwork and answering phones, but he doesn't seem to want me too. Most of the time I don't even know when he's going to be in the office or what projects he's working on from day to day and it's frustrating. I only find out things when he calls needing something or comes in and gives me a quick update. He says he wants me to offically become the office manager once I'm back to full time, but I just don't see how it's going to work if I don't know half of what's going on. I want the opportunity to be the executive assistant who really supports her boss and is on top of all that is going with the business, but how can I when my boss wants to do everything himself?

Hi AdminLisa,

I know exactly how you feel, as I had the same predicatment nine months ago. The first step is to communicate to your boss that you would like to take off some of the stress he is under by allowing you to be his strategic partner. That you see the relationship as a partnering one. This would mean that he will need to trust you in giving u access to his emails and you to intoduce a way of working better with him such as daily standup meetings and keeping in touch when he is in the field as well as delegating certain tasks of a project to you like monitoring outcomes and next steps. The most difficult task you have here is getting him to listen, so be well prepared for your first meeting with him on this matter. I would also suggest that you read up on topics such as managing your boss, time-management and productivity, being efficient and effective to help you build your case. Good luck.

[PartyPlanner]

I agree with the others for the most part, although sometimes people can be surprisingly resistant to the advice and help of others. It's an attitude and behavior you'll come across in life now and again, and it beats me why these people live out the saying "Ignorance is bliss". One friend has been unemployed longer than I have, yet he wants none of my help. A former boss used to always want to do things the hard way rather than the obviously easier way that technology now offers. In this case, he eventually got sacked by his boss for negligence of advice to improve performance. The irony of it all was that he hired the people on his staff because we had special skills, yet he refused all our advice and suggestions.

[AdminLisa]

Thanks all for the advice, I guess it is a bit more than just pushing paperwork, I do handle all of the invoicing, typing correspondence, filling out RFP's, Etc. However in between when there's not a lot of invoicing or paperwork to be done, I'm mostly waiting around for the next project or trying to find other things to do to keep busy. I like it here and want to make it work, but sometimes I get frustrated and wonder if it is worth it. For example, it's hard when I'm supposed to be keeping the accounting records but I can't because he doesn't bring in receipts regularly for me to record them. It's things like that that bother me. I will read up and try some of the suggestions you made and go from there I guess.

[jord0205]

I'm glad you updated; it makes it easier to give pointers.

If he isn't giving you the paperwork you need to do your job, its perfectly ok for you to ask him to turn in the paperwork sooner.

I felt I had the same issue with my boss. I decided that I was going to consider leaving the company if my career can't continue to grow, but that I wanted to try and stay first.

I had a conversation with her about how my career goals will fit in with the company. We are small office and 'creating' a position or climbing a ladder doesn't happen. She said that obviously there is only so much that I would be able to do, and she would try to find more challenging projects for me. After 2 months we've been working on several projects.

I think what really motivated her to keep giving me more work is that I mentioned my career goals. Any manager knows that if an employee isn't being challenged and still has a growing career, he/she won't stay at a company long if the company can't provide what the employee needs.

I was so scared to mention this to my boss because I knew the circumstances, but it honestly was the best conversation I could have had with my boss.

I hope this helps.

[dewoun]

You have received good sound advice. I had a boss like that years ago. She would work late nights, weekends and would rarely delegate. She was used to working solo and had the attitude of 'why let others do what you can do yourself.' I had to prove to her that I was capable of additional duties and suggested to her the pros and cons as to why she should forward more responsibilities to me. She has kids so that was the first pro- in that she could spend more time with her family and second, that she could have a less stress life, working late nights 6 days a week! Goodness! I would even find her to be spending nights!

So even though you have been working there for 2 years, your supervisor is really a "solo supervisor" and needs a slight attitude adjustment so that you can not only expand your experience but also alleviate stress and workload from him.

The greatest news is that you like your job so that is going to be all the more reason to help him develop the art of delegation.

Good luck!

I too find that you can speak to your boss and let them know all the things you would like to do for them, but then you need to be prepared to prove yourself and not take it personally when they follow up. They have to feel confident that they can let these things go and give them to you and know they will get done. Over time they will be able to give the work over to you, but be patient.

Patricia
Laughing All the Way to Work: A Survival Blog for Today's Administrative Assistant

[reubens grandma]

Lisa, all the advice you received is great! The people who responded to you are very knowledgeable. Do your best to follow the suggestions. However, if things do not work to your liking, just remember some people absolutely can't get it together enough to utilize an assistant. I've had two managers who just can't delegate and want to do everything themselves, including their emails and calendars and day-to-day work! If that happens, it's time to move on. Good luck!