"May Day! May Day!"

I am cought up in the middle...one of the BOSS is a self centric guy who thinks that all must be under his control... and wants every one to be a kiss ass ...I some how stepped on his tail and now he is trying to bite me...HELP

Note: This one is immediate...the other guy is department VP.....he is a sincere hard worker and down to earth person and lots of enemies around....

Under Attack

Dear Under Attack,

Your letter reads like a message sent out over a short-wave radio by someone caught behind enemy lines. It sounds like you are in deep distress.

The first thing I recommend in this type of situation is that you approach the person with whom you are in conflict directly and express how you are feeling. Tell your boss that you feel attacked. Ask for his help by learning what he expects of you and how you can better meet those expectations.

If, however, you don't feel comfortable with the direct approach, then I would suggest that you contact your firm's Human Resources Department or Employee Assistance Plan. You need to let them know about your situation. They may have a means of intervening to try to resolve the poor working relationship that seems to have arisen with your boss.

If those resources are not available to you, you can approach a more senior manager in the firm and ask for his/her assistance in resolving the tension you are experiencing.

If none of the above feel like a path you can walk down, then I suggest that you begin polishing your resume. It doesn't sound like it would be healthy for you to try to hang in there when the working environment is so poisonous for you.

Good luck.

Dr. John

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