专业硕士英语教材第九章内容及翻译How to Deal with a Difficult Boss.doc

Bad bosses often have a recognizable modus operandi! Harry Levinson, an American management psychologist, had catalogued problem bosses, from the bully to the indecisive jellyfish to the disapproving perfectionist. If youre suffering from a bad boss, chances are he or she combines several of these traits and can be dealt with effectively if you use the right strategy.糟糕的老板都有众所周知的伎俩！美国管理心理学家哈里莱文森将问题老板做了个分类，从欺压下属的恃强凌弱型到缺乏主见的优柔寡断型，再到求全责备的完美主义型。如果你正被一个糟糕的老板折磨，那很可能他或她综合了以上特征，只要方法运用得体，他们就能被轻松地应付过去。The Bully. DURING his first week on the job, a new account manager at a small advertising agency agreed to return some materials to a client. When he mentioned this at a staff meeting, the boss turned beet red, his lips began to quiver and he shouted that the new employee should call his client and confess he didnt know anything about the advertising business, and would not be returning the materials.欺压下属类。一家小型广告代理公司新上任的会计主管在上班的第一个星期里被获准将一些材料退还给客户。当他在一次员工会议提到这件事时，他老板开始涨红了脸，嘴唇颤抖，然后大叫着说新进的员工应该告诉他的客户，自己对广告业务一无所知，而资料也不应该退还。Over the next few months, as the account manager watched co-workers cower under the bosss brow-beating, he realized that the tyrant fed on fear. Employees who tried hardest to avoid his ire were most likely to catch it. “He was like a schoolyard bully,” the manager recalls, “and Ive known since childhood that, when confronted, most bullies back down.”在接下来的几个月里，这位会计主管看到同事们在老板的恫吓下战战兢兢地工作，（下属的）畏惧使得暴君式的老板变本加厉，越发得意。那些卖力工作以求免于被他责骂的员工却往往沦为他发火的对象。“他就像操场上的小霸王，”这位主管回忆道，“而我从小就知道，当有人针锋相对时，大多数的恃强欺弱者都会退缩。”Armed with new-found confidence and growing knowledge of the ad business, he matched bosss behavior. “If he raised his voice, Id raise mine.” the manager recalls. True to type, the boss started to treat him with grudging respect. Eventually, the young man moved up the ranks and was rarely subjected to his bosss outbursts.随着广告业务知识的增加和新建立起的信心，他开始和老板顶真起来。“如果他拔高嗓门，我也跟着拔高。”主管回忆道。本色的彰显使老板对他勉勉强强表现出了尊重。最后，这个年轻人被晋升了，很少再屈从于他老板的盛怒之下。Although standing up to the bully often works, it could make matters worse. Mardy Grothe recommends a different strategy: reasoning with him after hes calmed down, “Some bosses have had a problem with temper control all their lives, and are not pleased with this aspect of their personality,” he explains. Want a litmus test? If the boss attempts to compensate for his outburst by overreacting and trying to “make nice” the next day, says Grothe, he or she feels guilty about yesterdays bad behavior.尽管和蛮横的老板针锋相对经常会奏效，但它也有可能把事情弄得更糟。马帝. 葛罗斯建议采用另一种方法：在老板冷静下来以后和他讲道理，“控制不住自己的情绪是有些老板一辈子的毛病，他自己也对这方面的性格很不满意，”他解释道。想试试真假？如果老板试着为自己过激的情绪波动做些弥补并且第二天看上去“客客气气”的，葛罗斯说，那么他或她是在为自己昨天糟糕的行为表示内疚。Grothe suggests explaining to your boss how his temper affects you. For instance, you might say. “I know youre trying to improve my performance, but yelling makes me less productive because it upsets me.”葛罗斯建议向老板解释下他的情绪对你造成了怎样的影响。例如，你可以这样说。“我知道您设法让我的表现更出色，但是大吼大叫只会让我更加效率低下，因为这让我感到不安。”Whatever strategy you choose, deal with the bully as soon as possible, because “once a dominant subservient relationship is established, it becomes difficult to unshackle.” warns industrial psychologist James Fisher. Fisher also suggests confronting your boss behind closed doors whenever possible, to avoid being disrespectful. If your boss continues to be overbearing, try these strategies from psychologist Leonard Felder, author ofDoes Someone at Work Treat You Badly?不管你采取哪种策略，都要尽快把恃强凌弱的老板摆平，因为“一旦建立起服从于强权的关系，就很难再有所改变。”工业心理学家詹姆斯费希尔警告说。费希尔同样建议无论何时都尽量关着门和你的老板争辩，以免失于礼数。如果你的老板还是一如既往地专横跋扈，试试你在工作中受委屈了吗？一书的作者心理学家伦纳德费尔德所提出的办法。To keep your composure while the boss is screaming, repeat a calming phrase to yourself, such as “Ignore the anger. It isnt yours.”在老板大声嘶叫的时候保持镇定，不断对自己重复令人心平气和的短语，比如“别人生气我不气”Focus on a humorous aspect of your bosss appearance. If shes got a double chin, watch her flesh shake while shes complaining. “By realizing that even the most intimidating people are vulnerable, you can more easily relax,” explains Felder.注意观察你老板外表上滑稽的一面。如果她是双下巴，在她埋怨时看着她那块赘肉晃动。“当你发现即使是最善于言辞恐吓的人也很脆弱时，你就很容易变得轻松起来，”费尔德解释道。Wait for your boss to take a breath, then try this comeback line: “I want to hear what youre saying. Youve got to slow down.”等你老板停下来喘气的时候，试着回敬这么一句：“我想听你说了些什么。你最好放慢一下语速。”Finally, never relax with an abusive boss, no matter how charming he or she can be, says Stanley Bing. “The bully will worm his or her way into your heart as a way of positioning your face under his foot.”最后，斯坦利宾说，绝不可对肆意谩骂的老板放松警惕，无论他或她是多么地富有魅力。“恃强凌弱者总是把他或她的做法植根到你脑中以此来把你踩在脚下。”The Workaholic.“SOME BOSSES dont know the difference between work and play,” says Nancy Ahlrichs, “vice president of client services at an international firm that finds new jobs for employees who have been or are about to be dismissed.” If you want to reach them at night or on a Saturday, just call the office. Worse, such a boss invades your every waking hour, making it all but impossible to separate your own home life from the office.疯狂工作类。“有些老板根本分不清工作和娱乐的区别，”南希阿瑞克说，“一家国际公司客户服务部的副总裁总是在员工已经或者即将下班时，给他们找些活干。”如果你想在深夜或者周末找到他们，只要打办公室电话就好了。更糟的是，这样的老板在你醒着的每时每刻都会来烦你，使得你根本无法将家庭生活和工作区分开来。Ahlrichs advises setting limits on your availability. Make sure the boss knows you can be reached in a crisis, but as a matter of practice go home at a set time. If he responds angrily, reassure him that you will tackle any project first thing in the morning. Get him to set the priorities, so you can decide which tasks can wait.阿瑞克建议给自己设定一条最大负荷线。让你老板明白无误地知道，紧急的时候你能被联系上，但是平时你都会按时回家。如果他的态度不悦，向他保证你会在第二天清早处理好计划上被最先要求做的事。让他先规定好事情的轻重缓急，这样你就可以决定哪些任务可以先放一放。If you have good rapport with the boss, says Mardy Grothe, consider discussing the problem openly. Your goal is to convince him that just as he needs to meet deadlines, you have personal responsibilities that are equally important.如果你和老板关系融洽，马帝. 葛罗斯说，不妨考虑一下把这个问题拿出来公开讨论。你的目标就是说服他：就好像他需要在规定时间内完成工作一样，你的个人责任也同样重要。The Jellyfish.“MY BOSS hires people with the assumption that we all know our jobs,” says a woman who works for a small firm. “Unfortunately, he hates conflict. If someone makes a mistake, we have to work around it instead of moving to correct it, so we dont hurt anyones feelings.”优柔寡断类。“我老板雇佣员工的时候总是以为我们对自己的工作了如指掌，”为一家小公司工作的妇女说。“糟糕的是，他讨厌冲突。如果有谁做错了的话，我们不得不围着它转，而不是去改正它，这样就不伤害任何人的感情。”Her boss is a jellyfish. He has refused to establish even a rudimentary pecking order in his office. As a result, a secretary sat on important correspondence for over a month, jeopardizing a clients tax write-offs. Because no one supervises the firms support staff, the secretary never received a reprimand, and nobody was able to prevent such mishaps from recurring. The jellyfish simply cant take charge, because hes afraid of creating conflicts.她老板是个过于温和的人。他甚至不愿意在办公室里建立起一套最基本的等级制度。结果就是，一个秘书把一封重要信件放椅子上坐了一个多月，令客户本该注销的税金蒙受损失。因为没人监视这家公司的客户支持部，这位秘书从没有受到过训斥，所以也没人能阻止类似事件的发生。优柔寡断的老板完全不能掌控大局，因为他怕引发矛盾。So “you must take charge,” suggests Lee Colby, a management consultant. “Tell the jellyfish: This is what I think I ought to be doing. What do you think? You are taking the initiative, without stepping on your bosss toes.”所以“你必须担负起责任来，”管理顾问李科尔比建议。“告诉那个绵羊式的老板：我觉得应该照这么来做，你觉得怎么样？你这样就占据了主动而又没有凌驾于你老板之上。”Building an indecisive supervisors confidence is another good strategy. For example, if you can supply hard facts and figures, you can then use them to justify any course you recommendand gently ease the jellyfish into taking a firmer stance.让懦弱的老板建立起信心是另一个好主意。举例来说，如果你能提供些确切的情报，那你就可以根据这些来佐证你各种建议的正确性，这样可以慢慢让你老板摆出副强硬点的姿态，而不觉得紧张。The Perfectionist.WHEN Nancy Ahlrichs was fresh out of university, she landed her first full-time job, supervising the advertising design and layout of a small-town newspaper. On deadline day, the papers crotchety general manager would suddenly appear over her shoulder, inspecting her work for errors. Then hed ask a barrage of questions, ending with the one Ahlrichs dreaded most: “Are you sure youll make deadline?”求全责备类。当南希阿瑞克刚刚走出校门时，她从事的第一份全职工作是监督广告设计和策划一份小镇报纸。在最终期限将至的一天，这位脾气古怪的总经理总会突然出现在她身边，给她的工作挑点毛病。然后他会问一大堆问题，而快结束时问的一个问题最令阿瑞克不爽：“你确定能最终完成吗？”“I never missed a single deadline,” Ahlrichs says, “Yet every week hed ask that same question. I felt belittled by his lack of confidence in me.”“我从来没错过最后期限，”阿瑞克说，“而至今为止他每个星期仍问着我同样的问题。他对我这么缺乏信心让我觉得自己被轻视了。”Ironically, the general manager was lowering the staffs productivity. To paraphrase French philosopher Voltaire, the perfect is the enemy of the good. According to psychiatrist Allan Mallinger, co-author with Jeannette DeWyze ofTooPerfect: When Being in Control Gets Out of Control,the perfectionists overconcern for thoroughness slows down everyones work. When everything has to be done perfectly, tasks loom larger. The nit璸icking boss who is behind schedule becomes even more difficult, making subordinates ever more miserable.真是讽刺，这位总经理打压了员工的积极性。用法国哲学家伏尔泰的话说就是追求完美是把事做好的大敌。根据心理学家艾伦麦林格，珍妮特迪威兹过于完美：当控制一切的能力失控时一书的合著者的说法，求全责备者对完美的过度关注，使大家的工作进度都慢了下来。当事事都力求最好时，任务就显得冗余繁杂了。那些吹毛求疵，工作拖沓的老板就更难应付了，而他们下属的境遇通常也更悲惨。“Remember,” says Leonard Felder, “the perfectionist needs to find something to worry about.” To improve your lot with a perfectionist boss, get her to focus on the big picture. If she demands that you redo a task youve just completed, mention your other assignments, and ask her to prioritize. Often, a boss will let the work youve completed stand especially when she realizes another project may be put on hold. If your boss is nervous about a particular project, offer regular briefings. By keeping the perfectionist posted, you might circumvent constant supervision.“记住，”伦纳德费尔德说，“完美主义者需要找到些能让他担心的事。”和追求完美的老板相处时，如果你想改善你的运气，就让她宏观地看看。如果她让你把刚完成的事情拿去返工，提醒她一下你还有别的活，让她定一下优先次序。通常，老板会让你把已完成的工作先放一放，尤其是当她知道眼前还有其他久未动工的项目。如果老板对某个特殊项目尤为焦虑，定期给她一份简报。让她随时随地掌握进度，你或许就不必忍受长时间的监督了。Finally, protect yourself emotionally. “You cant depend on the perfectionist for encouragement,” says Mallinger. “You owe it to yourself to get a second opinion of your work by asking others.”最后，在情绪上安慰好自己。“你不能指望得到一个完美主义者的鼓励，” 麦林格说。“你认为自己有必要去问问其他人，从而获知他们的意见。”The Aloof Boss.MANY WORKERS feel frozen out by their boss in subtle ways. Perhaps he doesnt invite them to key meetings or he might never be available to discuss projects. “At the core of every good boss is the ability to communicate expectations clearly,” says Gerard Roche, chairman of an executive search firm. “Employees should never have to wonder whats on a bosss mind.”冷漠无情类的老板。许多工人从老板一些微妙的举动中感觉到自己在受到排斥。也许他没有邀请他们参加一个重要会议，又或者是他从来不给别人时间和他讨论项目问题。“当一个好老板最重要的能力就在于把所期望达到的目标向大家传达清楚，”一家猎头公司的主席杰勒德罗谢说。“员工们不必费尽心思地去琢磨自己上司的想法。”If your boss fails to give you direction, Roche says, “the worst thing you can do is nothing. Determine the best course of action, then say to your boss: Unless I hear otherwise heres what Im going to do.”如果你的老板没给你指定目标，罗谢说，“那什么也不做是最糟糕的做法。制定出最佳的行动方案，然后对你的老板说：在没得到进一步指示前我准备先这么做起来。”Other strategies: When your boss does not invite you to meetings or include you in decision making, speak up. “Tell her you have information that might prove to be valuable,” suggests Lee Colby. If that approach doesnt work, find an intermediary who respects your work and can persuade the boss to listen to your views.其他的做法还有：当你老板没请你参加会议或者不让你参与决定时，大声说出来。“告诉她你这里有些可能颇有价值的资讯，”李科尔比建议。如果这种方法不起效，那就找个对你工作赞赏有加且能说服你领导倾听一下你意见的中介人来。To understand your bosss inability to communicate, its vital to examine his work style. “Some like hard data, logically arranged in writing,” says Colby. “Others prefer face-to-face meetings. Find out what makes your boss tickand speak in his or her language.”要了解你老板为什么不善于沟通，那就要好好对他的工作风格考察一番。“有些人喜欢有力的数据，条理清晰地写在纸上。”科尔比说。“另一些喜欢面对面交谈。找出什么能够激起你老板的兴趣用他或她的方式与之交谈。”UNDERSTANDING YOUR BOSS can make your tenure more bearable in a number of ways. For instance, try offering the boss two solutions to a problem one that will make him happy, and one that will help you to reach your goals. Even the most intractable boss will usually allow you to solve problems in your own wayas long as hes convinced of your loyalty to him.了解你的老板会让你在职场生涯中的很多方面都应对如流。打个比方，试着给老板两套解决问题的方案一套是他一向中意的做法，另一套能让你的目标达成。即使是最难对付的老板，只要让他确信你的忠诚，那他往往会让你用自己的方法去解决问题。Before embarking on any course of action, engage in some self-analysis. Chances are, no matter how difficult your boss is, you are also contributing to the conflict. “Talk to people who know you both, and get some honest feedback,” suggests Mardy Grothe. “If you can fix the ways in which youre contributing to the problem, youll be more likely to get your boss to change.”在着手开始任何行动前，先对自己做一些评估。不管你的老板多么难于相处，情况很可能是：你自己也在制造着矛盾。“找个同时了解你和你老板的人聊聊，听取一些中肯的反馈意见，” 马帝. 葛罗斯建议说。“如果你纠正了自己那些毛病，你或许更有机会让你老板做出些改变。”Even if you cant theres a bright prospect; the worst bosses often have the most to teach you. Bullies, for example, are frequently masters at reaching difficult goals. Perfectionists can often prod you into exceeding your own expectations.即使你做不到这一点，事情还是有好的一面；最糟糕的老板通常会最让你受益匪浅。比方说欺压下属型的老板，经常是攻坚的高手。求全责备型的上司常常能够促使你把事情做得完美无暇，超乎你自己的期望。As a young resident psychologist at the Menninger psychiatric hospital in Topeka, Kansas, in the United States