Annoying Co-workers and Dangerous Co-workers

AC/DC in the Workplace, Part 2

By Tim Clancy.

Part I, which appeared in the previous issue and is available online , dealt with annoying co-workers (ACs) in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. Face it, we all have to put up with co-workers that get under our skin and oftentimes, laughter is still the best medicine.

If you’re looking for a breezy sequel, don’t expect to find it on these pages.

This time, we’re dealing with dangerous co-workers (DCs) and there’s not one thing funny about them. Sexual harassers, racists/haters and physically violent predators are a small, but very real threat not only to your career, but also to your physical and mental well-being—or even to your life.

Violence on the Job

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), homicide is the second leading cause of death on the job, surpassed only by motor vehicle accidents. However, according to the NIOSH, fellow employees do not commit the vast majority of workplace murders; current or former coworkers commit only nine percent of these homicides. Nearly three-quarters of workplace homicides are robbery related.

However, non-fatal physical violence and verbal violence between co-workers is a much more statistically significant problem. According to a U.S. Department of Justice study, 26% of physical attacks in the workplace are perpetrated by current employees (and three percent by former employees). The study reported that there were two million victims of workplace violence per year, comprised of 1.5 million simple assaults (no weapons) as well as nearly 400,000 assaults involving weapons.

This corresponds to more than 500,000 incidents of worker-to-worker violence.

What can you do to protect yourself and others? According to the Workplace Violence Headquarters (www.workplace-violence-hq.com), a training/consulting firm, 85% of co-workers that commit on-the-job acts of violence exhibit clear warning signs before committing a violent act. These warning signs include things such as hostility, drastic changes in behavior or physical appearance, emotional problems including substance abuse, job performance problems, increased problems with co-workers and threats of suicide.

Trust your instincts: If something just “seems wrong” with one of your co-workers and you can back up your suspicions with specific incidents (and especially if other co-workers have expressed similar concerns), you owe it to yourself and others to take the appropriate steps necessary to prevent a potentially dangerous act. If you don’t know your employer’s specific policies for dealing with such matters, ask your supervisor or human resources contact.

If there is no formal written policy, then set up a private meeting with the appropriate employer representative(s) and request that the matters discussed are documented.

Hate Speak

Non-physical workplace violence, in the form of threats, intimidation and harassment, affects millions of workers every year. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there are more than six million incidents of this each year, ranging from racial and sexual slurs to threats of physical violence. With so much attention focused on “political correctness” and enlightenment about hate crimes, one would expect that inappropriate remarks in the workplace including ethnic and racial slurs would be on the decline. Yet, according to the results of an annual survey conducted by Boston-based Novations/J. Howard & Associates regarding workplace insults, there has been little change in the last several years. Among their findings:
• Racial slurs were overheard by 30% of employees in 2004, 27% in 2003 and 29% in 2002.
• Slurs relating to sexual orientation were overheard by 20% of employees in 2004 and 2003; down from 24% in 2002.
• Five percent of employees overheard slurs regarding a disability in 2004, up from three percent in 2003 but down from seven percent in 2002.

In 1999 the California Supreme Court (Aguilar v. Avis Rent-a-Car) upheld an injunction barring a manager from referring to his Latino workers with offensive terms such as “wetback” and “mother[expletive deleted].”

A lower court had ruled that since the employer had permitted the use of racial slurs directed at employees, it had created a hostile work environment and thereby violated a California employment act.

Some analysts and judges, including controversial California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown—a dissenter in this very case—argue that racist speech is constitutionally protected under the First Amendment, even if it takes place at work and even if it violates federal antidiscrimination laws. Clearly, the issues of protected free speech vs. employees’ rights to work in an environment free of racial hostility will continue to be debated. It’s also clear that employers need to have specific written policies addressing all forms of verbal harassment...and they must enforce them, lest they be subject to expensive court battles and potentially even more costly damages.

Sexual Harassment

There are many misconceptions regarding sexual harassment in the workplace. The Web site of the National Women’s Law Center (www.nwlc.org) is an excellent resource for finding answers to the most frequently asked questions about sexual harassment.

Briefly defined, sexual harassment is unwelcome behavior that you are subjected to specifically because of your gender. It can take the form of specific requests of a sexual nature, unwelcome sexual advances, and physical and/or verbal conduct of a sexual nature. In order to meet the legal definition of sexual harassment, the conduct must either be severe enough to constitute a hostile or offensive work environment (potentially tough to prove) or when the submission to—or rejection of—sexual advances is used as a basis for employment decisions or as a condition of employment.

Here are a few other facts about sexual harassment:

• Sexual harassment can be male-to-female, female-to-female, or male-to-male. However, harassing someone because of their sexual orientation is not generally considered sexual harassment and would fall under a different set of laws (or is not protected at all in many locales). For instance, if a female supervisor made an unwelcome sexual advance at a female subordinate and indicated that it would be detrimental to her career if she didn’t cooperate, it would be considered sexual harassment. If that same supervisor addressed a subordinate with a derogatory term for a homosexual, it would not be considered sexual harassment...although it could have other legal implications, depending on the laws of that location.

• There is a common misconception that in order for sexual harassment to meet the legal definition, the harasser must be your work superior. Actually, it is the employer’s responsibility to keep the workplace free of any sexual harassment—whether it comes from your boss, your equal, your subordinate...even from non-employees such as clients.

• If the harassment isn’t explicitly of a sexual nature, but still singles you out based on your gender, it still can constitute sexual harassment as defined by law. For instance, you may have a legitimate claim of sexual harassment if your supervisor constantly says that men aren’t sensitive enough to be good health care providers or continually assigns unpleasant tasks because “it’s something for a man to do.”

Educate yourself about your employer’s official policies and procedures regarding sexual harassment. If you feel you’re being sexually harassed at work, the best three words of advice are: document, document and document. Keep a journal or file where you can keep a log of every instance of harassment—include dates, times, names of witnesses and whatever additional information you want to add. Keep copies of any correspondence related to the harassment—including memos to and from your human resources contact or manger, as well as any correspondence to and from your harasser. For your protection, don’t keep this “evidence file” at work—store it at home or in another safe location.

If your employer is unable or unwilling to deal with your harassment claim effectively, you should file a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. You can find locate your regional office at www.eeoc/gov/offices.html.

Tim Clancy is the publisher of Diversity: Allied Health Careers and Minority Nurse and has more than 20 years of career development writing and publishing experience.

Annoying Co-workers and Dangerous Co-workers

AC/DC in the Workplace, Part 1

By Tim Clancy.

Mr. Inconsistent. Little Miss Perfect. Dr. Annoyance. Barbara the Bully. Jerry the Jokester. Unless you're a self-employed company of one-or are the most easy-going person in the world-you're bound to encounter annoying co-workers (let's call them ACs). "Tell me about it," you say. I will...but before you get all high and mighty, remember that there's also a very good chance that YOU are someone else's AC-even though you may consider yourself a pillar of professionalism. In fact, I'd wager that anyone referring to him- or herself in such pillar-y terms is guaranteed to be someone else's AC.

ACs, for the purposes of this column, are not the grounds-for-immediate-termination types (sexual harassers, racial epithet-icians, the physically violent and so on). Those are dangerous co-workers (DCs) and will be dealt with in a future issue. And although DCs pose serious problems to their co-workers and employers, they are a less-common breed as compared to your garden-variety ACs and their eradication is often far easier (zero-tolerance policies, for instance). It's not my intention to make light of DCs: They are criminals who can undermine careers, harm families, ruin lives and even worse. If you're lucky, you'll never encounter a truly dangerous co-worker. But those pesky ACs are everywhere!

Unfortunately, I don't know of a "Field Guide to Identifying and Handling ACs," mainly because just about every facet of human behavior has potential to be someone else's form of irritation. This mythical guidebook would include descriptions of just about all of us and everything we do. And no one's backpack or brief bag would be big enough to carry it.

Eight Is Enough (for Now)

Here's a brief rundown of a few of the most prevalent varieties of annoying co-workers, along with a few tips for handling them. Purebred ACs, however, are rather rare, so you're most likely to encounter ones who are a mixture of the following breeds.

1.) The Motormouth. Thinks no moment is complete unless it is filled with words. Expect excruciatingly detailed descriptions of children's soccer games; multi-chapter stories about relatives, neighbors and TV shows; and TMI (too much information) about personal medical conditions and spousal behavior. Motormouths don't chat; they deliver monologues.

Handling: Try a drastic change of subject. And then another and another until you find a topic that's semi-tolerable. You can try the "I really need to concentrate on the task at hand" approach, but you can't use it all the time. Although tempting and effective, the use of duct tape might be considered assault.

2. The Job Hater. Constantly complains about his or her job, the job that others do, the management/supervisor, the employer and the workplace itself yet doesn't do anything to change the situation. Begins many sentences with, "If I didn't need this job so badly..."

Handling: Counter negative comments with how much you like your job/boss/organization, and tell the hater that you're really not interested in negative trash talking. Be firm with this type of AC. Don't offer comfort or affirmation; that will make you the Hater's pal and confidant. You want this person to either leave the job or have a change in attitude (or at least stop complaining around you).

3. The Sourpuss. Humorless, sad, uptight and often depressing to be around. Unlike the Job Hater, who usually has poor-to-average job performance, the Sourpuss may be an excellent performer. Sourpusses thrive on achieving unacknowledged martyrdom, but can be equally satisfied with team failure. The call of the Common Sourpuss is generally easily recognized:

"I'm just here to do my job," "Good thing SOMEONE was paying attention," "It won't make any difference," "I don't see what's so funny about that," and "It wouldn't have worked out, anyway."

Handling: The Sourpuss may, in fact, be clinically depressed. At the very least, you're simply dealing with someone who's not very happy. Try and keep most comments to yourself. Train your inner voice to reward your kindness and silence ("I'm sure glad I'm not like that!"). When the Sourpuss does cross the insult line, confront them with a firm but professional response. They tend to back off, at least temporarily.

4. The Superstar. No, not someone who excels on the job, although Superstars do tend to get promoted. What we're dealing with here is someone who is profoundly self-absorbed... "The Me Show" starring ME, directed by ME, with special guest star, ME! Nearly everyone else is a non-speaking extra in the production. If you are given a few lines, they are intended only to provide the actor with another star turn. Loves to document accomplishments and share each achievement with co-workers and supervisors, no matter how minor that achievement might be. Thrives on formal recognition and awards and pursues them with frightening zeal.

Handling: This is a tough one, especially if the star is also the boss (in which case, you need to play your role and play it well and never, EVER upstage the lead actor). Start looking for a new show, unless you're satisfied with bit parts. If the pseudo-celebrity AC isn't your superior, just make sure that this person doesn't cast a shadow on your own performance. Don't get discouraged; in the long run, real talent usually gets recognized.

5. The Standup. The class clown had a teacher who could tell him to shush or send him to the principal. Fast forward: Somehow this clown graduated and no longer has any class. Humor in the workplace is healthy and often makes uncomfortable situations less so, but the Standup thinks everything's a joke or the setup for a joke. Oh, and the jokes usually aren't very funny. If they are, the Standup will become a professional comedian, fill nightclubs, nab a multimillion-dollar TV deal, and get the last laugh.

Handling: Before you start heckling, make sure that your comical AC has, indeed, crossed the boundary of acceptable workplace humor (otherwise you might find yourself labeled as a #3, above). In health care jobs, humor can be both a blessing and a curse. A bit of humor (appropriately dark or light, given the circumstances) can help alleviate the stress of a bad situation. But it can also detract from important matters at hand. I, for one, have no desire to be attended to by a zany paramedic. The Standup may feed off of laughter, but really hungers for acceptance. Therefore, a firm "talking to" coming from several co-workers might successfully limit the length and number of the comedian's sets.

6. The Irritator. The person with one or more traits or habits that just drives you nuts: bathes self in foul-smelling cologne, is a bad-breathed close-talker, makes repetitious annoying sounds/sighs, persists in addressing you with an unwanted nickname ("Hey, Skipster, could you hand me the patient's paperwork?"), butts in on private conversations and generally drives you nuts with [fill-in-the-blank].

Handling: A million different situations; a million different solutions (many fraught with awkwardness). If you're someone who is comfortable being brutally honest, give it a try: "Doreen, I'm just going to say it-your breath is a weapon of mass destruction." Other creative solutions include leaving anonymous notes/gifts, even if it involves some gentle lying: "Dear Steve, one of your co-workers is allergic to your cologne and is too shy to bring it to your attention. Here, try this fragrance sample; it's hypoallergenic. Or don't wear any cologne at all." In reality, most of us just put up with Irritators. They're pretty harmless anyway. If your worst problem at work is being called Donna-rama by the goofy guy in the records department, just let it roll off your back.

7. The Bully. This one's pretty self-explanatory and, unfortunately, very common. Plenty of bosses/ supervisors are bullies, but so are many same-level co-workers. Remember, bullies are often very charming to their superiors. Most schoolyard bullies had blissfully oblivious parents ("My sweet little Johnny would never pick on anyone else."). Similarly, your boss may have no idea what's really going on and, worse, may not believe it when you rat out the bully. When the bully IS your boss, you can bet that his or her big boss probably has no knowledge of the situation.

Handling: Document, document, document. You can't very well go to your supervisor or HR department to lodge a compliant without some solid proof (dates/times of incidents, witnesses' accounts, notes, etc.). A group meeting between the supervisor, the victim(s) of the bullying as well as those who may have witnessed the incident(s) might be a good idea. Many bullies, when properly confronted, will back off. Some, however, have the potential to become harassers, which can have serious ramifications for the victim and expensive consequences for the employer, so it is important to keep tabs on them.

8. The Nut Case. I have to be careful here or we'll get a mailbox full of letters. So, Sourpusses, take note: I'm not being insensitive about mental illness. Nothing's funny about mental illness. I'm not even referring to bona fide mental illness. That's why I wrote "Nut Case" and not an actual medical term. Hope that's clear. What we're dealing with are people who may respond inappropriately and inconsistently to everyday workplace situations with bursts of anger, crying jags and irrational ideas-not brought on by substance abuse or an obvious physical/mental disorder.

Handling: As with the bully, you need to work with management/HR on dealing with this kind of person. Again, documentation of incidents is key. Don't take on a Nut Case single-handedly. Luckily, a common trait of this AC is that they've convinced themselves that their co-workers are incompetent and their employers are fools and, therefore, don't mind hopping from one job to another (voluntarily or not). So they don't tend to stick around for a long time. An exception might be within large bureaucratic organizations, where they may take up permanent residence and graduate to full DC status (that's why it's called "going postal" instead of "going small independent laboratory").

Next Time: Dealing with dangerous co-workers.

Tim Clancy is the publisher of Diversity: Allied Health Careers and Minority Nurse and has more than 20 years of career development writing and publishing experience.

At the start of a new job you hope that your co-workers will become a second family. At the very least, you certainly expect that they will like you and not tease you. And you undoubtedly hope that they won't talk behind your back or criticize you in front of supervisors. While you may dream of a workplace utopia, a perfect working environment rarely exists.

During your career you will undoubtedly come into contact with co-workers who go for the jugular. While sometimes they will retaliate for something you inadvertently said or did, other times there will be no reason for their war against you beyond their own jealousy or ego.

So what should you do if you have an enemy in your ranks? Before you turn the other cheek or prepare to do battle, try these 10 helpful steps:

1. Rethink the situation. Did you do something to warrant their attack? If so, admit your mistake and apologize in private.

2. Laugh away a public insult with a non-defensive retort. Avoid overreacting to a public attackÑa calm response may help diffuse the situation.

3. If you are confronted during a meeting, defend yourself in a composed manner. Stand up for whatever action, idea or program is being attacked. Answer any questions and offer to explain your side of the situation further to anyone who has further questions after the meeting.

4. Kill your nemesis with kindness. Do him or her an enormous favor to upset the scales. For example, you can back up one of his or her suggestions to your department head or supervisor.

5. Get to know your adversary. Find out how he or she got their job, who their mentors are, where they worked before, and what their goals and motives are. Just showing an interest can sometimes help to mend fences. And if it doesnÕt improve the situation, knowing everything you can about your enemy can still be helpful. Knowledge is power.

6. Build up your own troops to outnumber your enemy's. Make sure that top administrators and physicians are included in your campÑnumbers count.

7. Stand up for yourself. If you tend to have a passive personality, do the unexpected and confront your opponent. Remember, if you give respect you should expect respect.

8. Continue to work hard. Even if you're having difficulties with your co-workers, it is extremely important that you maintain professionalism and continue to produce great work. DonÕt be afraid to contribute new ideas and donÕt be modest about sharing your accomplishments with supervisors.

9. Get rid of them. If you canÕt work it out with your co-worker, maybe you should start looking for a new jobÑfor them! Keeps your eyes and ears open; maybe you will hear of a perfect position for them at another facility. You can also recommend your foe for a promotion or lateral move to another department.

10. Develop your own networks and participate in professional associations. Do more than just joinÑget active and form relationships with your colleagues. If all else fails, find a new position where you are respected.

Adele M. Schele, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized career coach and change management authority. Additional information on Dr. Scheele can be found at www.careerinspired.com.

The transition from academia to the work world is one of the most dramatic changes you will ever make. Graduating from school and entering the “real world” is what you’ve been waiting for, but something you might not expect to occur during this time is the onset of the “freshmen blues” all over again. Remember that first year of college? For many students, until they get the hang of their new life, it can be a difficult period of adjustment. Similarly, when you begin your first job, you may experience feelings of confusion and apprehension. And depending on your job, you may be expected to settle right in with little or no formal orientation. So, for all you new health care employees, here are some prescriptions to help you successfully transition from school into your career no matter what type of organization you work for.

Rx 1: Change Your Attitude

As a student your responsibility was to respond to exactly what your professors wanted, and you were graded immediately. In academia it is rare to be asked to rework a project, rewrite a paper, or retake a test to improve. You didn’t have to influence professors to advance you to the next level; they just tallied your grades and passed you onto the next stage. If you did exactly what you were supposed to do, you were automatically promoted.

In the real world, things are different. Now you will be working for supervisors, doctors, administrators and others who will expect you to perform at an exceptional level, but they will only promote you when you exceed expectations and sometimes not even then. Therefore, your attitude must shift from expecting to be immediately advanced up the career ladder to recognizing that you must be patient and willing to learn as much as you can from each position you hold.

Rx 2: Change Your Behavior

In college you probably got away with cutting class sometimes, sliding in late, or arranging a class schedule to fit your social or sleep habits. But now you have to show up on time everyday. It’s expected; it’s not rewarded with extra credit. And while you might have kept to yourself in a class or lab, you now have to give up that loner behavior. Even if you are not an extrovert, you will have to make an effort to fit in at your new place of employment.

Being new is never easy, but it is important that you take the initiative with your co-workers. Begin by introducing yourself to everyone in your area. Greet people, shake hands, tell them where you’re from, and ask them about themselves who they are, what they do, how long they’ve been with the organization. After the conversation, jot down the person’s name and what you learned about them. This will help you quickly learn who everyone is. And remember, don’t immediately enter into any cliques; get to know everyone. It is too early in the game for you to understand the workplace politics, so you should be open to everyone.

Rx 3: Change Your Talk

At your new organization you’ll most likely be working with people around your own age, but you’ll also be working with co-workers who are your mother’s age or even older. They will, no doubt, come from different backgrounds, follow different religions, and enjoy various types of entertainments and food. These differences are what make human interaction interesting, and you should be open to learning about your co-workers. It is, however, important to keep in mind that in the workplace successful employees adopt a professional “language,” which helps unite them with their co-workers and maintains professionalism. This professional language will include the terms that apply to your allied health field, but it might also include a more formal manner of speaking than you are used to.

At the start of your job, take note of how your co-workers and boss talk to each other. Use their professional communication as a guide for how you should speak with your colleagues and clients, doctors and patients, administrators and legislative aides.

Rx 4: Change Your Dress Code

As a student you probably considered it a good day if you showered and put on clean jeans before you went to class. Casual attire is expected in the academic environment, however, in the work world, dressing in an appropriate manner is mandatory. You are now expected to look the part of a professional overnight. Again, take note of how your boss dresses and make sure your clothing is similar. If you have a uniform, make sure it is always clean and pressed. However awkward you feel at first, you can’t continue to dress like a student now that you’re an employee. No doubt donning your professional attire will feel more natural within a month’s time.

Rx 5: Change Your Learning Habits

Learning opportunities were abundant and clearly defined when you were in college. There were textbooks, curricula overviews, learning guides, labs, discussions groups, projects and more. Now that you are working for a living, gleaning new knowledge won’t be so simple. Of course as you first start your position, you will be learning plenty. Once you have your daily duties down pat, however, the responsibility of continuing your education will be up to you. A good way to learn from your daily tasks is to ask your co-workers and supervisors for feedback. Stay up to date by taking continuing education classes, joining professional associations, and reading recently released journals and books related to your field.

Rx 6: Change Your Interaction

Inevitably you will become frustrated at your new job; it is quite normal. How you handle that frustration, however, is what really matters. You will need to solve tough dilemmas, deal with difficult people and act ethically all while keeping your cool. Keep in mind, though, you can always ask for help. Your co-workers and supervisors know more about the job then you do, so don’t be afraid to learn from them. And if you mess up on the job, which is also undoubtedly going to happen at some point, be mature enough to apologize and make amends. And don’t forget to learn from the mistake so you can do better next time.

Rx 7: Change Your Focus

Keep in mind that your job description is only the bare minimum of your true job requirements. Pleasing your boss (which includes making them look good) should be your top priority. During your first few days and weeks on the job, be observant—discover what your boss wants from you and figure out ways that you can deliver. Instead of waiting for assignments, stay a step ahead by finding ways to contribute without always being told what to do. For example, if you have some spare time at work, don’t make a personal call or page through a magazine—make yourself useful!

Take a moment and think about the word "boss." What image comes to mind?

Most people flash to a picture of a demanding, screaming, critical, oppressive tyrant. But surprisingly "boss" didn't start out as a negative word; it actually comes from a Dutch word for "uncle." And a Dutch uncle is supposed to give you great, honest advice.

The unavoidable fact is that most of us have bosses that don't just provide great advice. And even though it may not be part of your written job description, pleasing your boss is a big part of any position. In fact, it may be the single most important factor in keeping your job, receiving adequate raises and moving up in the ranks. Think of it as having two occupations doing what your job description says and pleasing your boss.

Learning to Please

It's easy to please a good boss, one that explains to you exactly what's expected on the job, gives you guidance when you need it and allows your skills and talents to develop. This mythical good boss also tells you how much he or she appreciates your hard work, gives you plenty of promotions and boosts your salary yearly.

Sounds good, doesn't it? In reality, though, a lot more of us are strapped with a bad boss someone who doesn't trust their employees because they are feeling inadequate themselves. A bad boss will question and undermine everything that you do. A bad boss will think they're right no matter what, will criticize you and won't listen to anything you say. And to top it off, they will take credit for your good work while bypassing you for raises and promotions.

Sounds pretty awful, doesn't it? In order to make the best of a potentially sticky situation, it's up to you to find out what your boss really wants and how to deliver.

And remember, complaining about your tyrannical boss to coworkers will not help the situation. In fact, it can potentially make a terrible circumstance worse if your angry words somehow wind up whispered back into your boss's ear by a devious coworker. No matter what, the fact that you can't get along with your boss will only reflect negatively on you.

Learning to get along with a difficult boss is among the most important career-building skills you can learn. But what exactly can you do to survive a thorny workplace? Here are several strategies that you can try. And these are good skills to practice with any boss. Even if you have a boss that doubles as your best friend right now, you never know when you'll wind up working for a nightmare supervisor! So anytime is a good time to practice these effective skills.

1. Let them be right. Sometimes all your boss needs is to be told that they are right. So do it. It's OK to swallow your pride and say those magic words, "You're right." Or, "I'm sorry." Or, "Point taken. I'm learning so much from you, and next time I will check with you to make sure I am doing what you want." Remember, you're only human; sometimes you will make mistakes. And when it happens, admit your error and apologize. Tell your boss what you learned from your mistake and how you'll apply it next time. Don't waste your time explaining why you did what you did or trying to prove how you were right all along. Instead, acknowledge to your boss how accurate his or her point of view is. Behaving like this may leave you feeling like a toady at first, especially if you haven't had much experience kowtowing to authority. But keep in mind, behaving like this comes as second nature to people who succeed in their careers.


2. Let your boss guide you. When you are beginning something new on the job, it can't hurt to get advice from the higher-ups. No matter what job you have sometimes you will need supervision. And if you receive criticism, turn it into an assignment for next time. "You mean you'd prefer a shorter report including charts?" "Are you saying that you'd prefer me to go to the client's location and teach them our format?" Give up feeling defensive and blaming something or someone else. "The dog ate my homework" and all the other excuses you may have used in school are worthless in the workplace. You might have to redo a report or other job task several times to get it right, but it's a good opportunity to utilize your boss's expertise to help you do your job correctly.
3. Remember, your boss isn't the only one you work with. If things are really bad with your boss you may begin thinking about leaving your place of employment. However, before you jump ship, see if you can find a few people higher ranking and influential whose style and work you admire to serve as role models. These mentors can give you advice about how to do your job better and how to get along with your boss and coworkers. And since your mentors might be able to promote you into another department or job function, forming these relationships may even get you out from under your cruel boss. However, if there's no support at your job, you will be forced to begin looking for a new position. The best way to find another job is to network! Look to all your contacts, family and friends for potential job leads. No one gets through their career alone; everyone needs a reference and someone who can vouch for their work and ability to get along with others.


4. Hard work isn't always rewarded. Unlike school where for the most part your successes (and failures) were yours and yours alone, in the work world what you do reflects on the entire organization. This can be a good thing: sometimes major mistakes won't fall solely on your shoulders. But what about when you're doing amazingly well in your job? Then you can expect timely raises and promotions, right? Well, not necessarily. If you have a particularly sneaky boss, your successes in the work place may wind up being his or her successes instead, since your boss can take all the credit. This is just part of life and something you'll have to get used to if you plan on working for other people during your career. Keep plugging along and doing your best-eventually it will pay off.


5. If you can't change your boss into someone you're able to work for, change your attitude. For starters, in today's rocky economy, you can be glad that you even have a job. If you're fortunate enough to be employed in a high-demand health field, just knowing that there are other opportunities out there can get you through a particularly bad day. (And maybe it's time to start exploring those options!) After all, having a job is a reason to get up in the morning and it presents daily learning opportunities, a steady paycheck and even a profession to belong to. But if your boss is driving you crazy, you may need to focus on something else to get you through the day. Give yourself a life assignment: look for the advantages at your job. They could be right under your nose, and once you start looking around you will be amazed at how many potential opportunities are right in front of you there are networks to build, skills to develop, experiences to have, allies to form and friends to make!

In today's high-tech world of lighting-fast communication— email, instant messenger, cell phones—the “old fashioned” art of letter writing has lost favor in place of short-hand like “LOL” and “IMHO.” But in the pursuit of gainful employment in our presently struggling economy, just attaching your resume to a brief email or clicking your way through an electronic job database