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[b]BLUF: My boss gets zero respect from my peers, but he is trying to take me under his wing. I am new to the department, and my boss will be leaving within a year. How should I handle the situation?[/b]
[list][b]Me:[/b] 24 years old; started working at a new firm five months ago.
[b]My boss:[/b] transferred from a different department about two years ago. He has made it clear that he will leave in about 6 months, which is as soon as the company's retirement policy allows.
[b]My peers:[/b] most have been at the company for at least 30 years. We started hiring lots of new employees about a year ago, and I am one of the newest of the new.[/list:u]
It was clear to me from the very beginning that my peers had no respect for my boss. He had a loose grasp of our operations, and needs help to get even the simplest data out of the computer. His manner of talking to my peers is widely seen as "talking down" to them. When conflict arises, he is quick to entrench himself, and he is capable of other spiteful behavior.
He is also seen as "playing favorites" -- and I am one of them. He has given me better assignments than most people who have been there longer. He has taken me to meetings that my peers never attend. He is thinking of sending me to a conference in a few months, which is extraordinary for employees at the entry level.
I am excited by the opportunities he has given me. I enjoy learning, and I am ambitious for more challenges. I have shown more drive and capacity than the other newly-hired employees. And my leadership style is completely opposite to his style. But I remain uneasy about being associated with my boss, and with the favorable treatment I have received.
Yesterday, I tried to tell my boss that I sense others' growing resentment. He wanted me to name specific peers, so that he could confront them. This is exactly the opposite of what I wanted, so I told him to "let sleeping dogs lie".
Because this attempt failed, I can think of only two scenarios:
[list]1. Continue to accept favorable treatment from my boss, and accept the resentment of my peers.
2. Reject favorable treatment from the boss. This would (perhaps) earn respect from my peers, but word of which would surely travel up the chain of command.[/list:u]
I enjoy my job, and would like to make a career in the industry. How do I handle the situation?
My peers hate my boss, but my boss likes me
You cannot change your boss, and "rejecting" favorable treatment is probably not a good idea.
I would focus on building a better relationship with your peers.
--Rich
My peers hate my boss, but my boss likes me
It's not a simple "either/or" situation. So first some questions, then a point, then some advice:
Do your peers know that the boss will be gone in six months?
Can you be absolutely sure he will be gone?
How would his job be filled when he leaves? Will your current boss have any say in the matter? Are you in any way a contender? Are any of your peers?
Are your peers performing well?
Are any of the "out of favor" peers seen as leaders of the peer group?
Is the old guard peer group tight, in factions, or splintered?
Resentment isn't measureable. How do you know they resent you? Do they turn and walk away when you come into the room? Do they call you a 'suck up?' Do NOT jump to conclusions about their thoughts or feelings - they could in fact like you.
Say nothing negative about anyone to anyone. Be positive. Rich is right: build relationships with your coworkers. Go to lunch, chat about the game, find out about their kids and make sure to ask about them later. Be genuinely interested in them (if they've been there 30 years, I guarantee you have a LOT to learn from them!). Be humble. Ask their advice. Ask how you can help. Fit in, fit in, fit in.
And, be patient.
John