Work Text:
My manager hums forbidden music and isn't aware of it, My coworker goes on long, unhinged rants, and it is making him look bad, and more
It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go…
1. My Manager hums forbidden music and isn't aware of it.
Dear Alison,
My manager, "Benneret" often hums when he's deep in thought. This would be fine; he has a pleasant singing voice and can carry a tune, and I don't mind background music. However, he often hums a song that is forbidden and is treasonous to perform. He is otherwise an amazing boss, he gave me use of the sky ship to visit my mother whence she was ill and told me to take all the time I need even though we were deep in audit season. Am I obligated to report Benneret? Can I just alert him to what he's doing?
It would be a kindness to you manager if you can alert him first. That changes if he's not receptive to feedback, but from your letter I doubt that's the case! Of course, you do have to balance that against the risk to yourself, depending on your local penalties for not reporting.
Read an update to this letter!
2. How long should I wait before following up on this job opportunity?
Dear Alison,
I am at a job right now, which is pretty great, but it's been my dream to work in Academia, specifically one of the Golden List schools on Alinor. I'm on Zunidh now, where the post is very reliable, and comes daily, thanks to the reforms of Viceroy Mdang. I interviewed first virtually on Skrye, and then in person at Morrowlea. I thought the interview went really well, and the interviewer really lit up when I asked the magic question. They told me I would hear back in a few weeks, but it has been seven months. Should I follow up with her, or should I just follow your advice and assume I didn't get the job and move on?
It's true that I usually give the advice that interviewer time isn't the same kind of time as candidate time. This is even more true when we're talking about interviewing on different worlds. Ever since the fall, time has worked oddly. It may have only been a day for your interviewer! It could be ten years! Plus, there have been articles in the Csiven Flyer about how the post on Alinor is still broken. An offer letter may have already been sent to you, and you won't get it for a few years!
If you haven't sent a thank you note yet, you can do that now and reiterate your interest and ask about the timeline, but in general, yes, I would move on and assume you didn't get the job until you hear otherwise. If you're sure you want to move to Alinor and you can afford to take the financial hit, you might do better moving there and applying to more positions once you're local. I'm sorry I don't have better news for you, and good luck!
3. My coworker goes on long, unhinged rants, and it is making him (and me!) look bad!
Dear Alison,
I work for the government, and we often have long meetings. One of my coworkers is the reason these meetings are so long. We usually have an agenda for these meetings, with a set amount of time to discuss each item. He will blow past these time limits and ignore all subtle hints that we need to move on. Often he will go on rants that are incredibly unhinged, accusing another coworker of being his boss's lapdog, or worse, being an octopus who is sucking the world dry. Everyone laughs at him behind his back, and I worry that he's really hurting his image, and that I could be ruining my future professional opportunities by associating with him. What should I do?
Has anyone talked to your coworker directly about how he has been disrupting meetings? You say he's been ignoring hints, but if no one has brought it up with him directly, you should try that first. Do you have standing to talk to your coworker? If so, you should start with that. Otherwise you could talk to your manager in your next 1:1, especially if you and him have the same manager. Don't focus on how the rants make your coworker look bad, or your worries about your own image, but instead point out he has been using up precious meeting time and wasting in on pointless things. Suggest that your manager attend the next meeting so she can see things for herself.
4. I think my boss and his boss are in love with each other, and neither will admit it, and they are making things uncomfortable for the rest of us
Dear Alison,
I know you're generally a work advice columnist, and that this possibly might be a better question for Captain Awkward, but this is a relationship problem causing workplace issues.
I am an executive assistant. I handle appointments, travel, and meetings for my boss Fergus. To state it plainly, Fergus is probably in love with his boss, Joaquim. He constantly stares at him, tells us about Joaquim's the best boss he's ever had, remarks about how beautiful Joaquim's hands are, etc. He's otherwise very professional with us, but we think this might be a huge blind spot for him.
Joaquim is probably in love with Fergus as well! He often invites Fergus to lunch with him (he does not do this with anyone else), shows up unannounced in Fergus's office, and talks about his incomparable secretary, his dear Fergus. Fergus cannot take a hint though!
The two of them are constantly sighing over each other, and we all think it would be a lot easier if the two of them just got together and talked about their feelings like adults. But they are our boss and grandboss. How can we make them talk to each other so the rest of us can get our work done?
You say you plan travel for Fergus. Have you tried scheduling him and Joaquim on a business trip together and making sure the inn only has one room left, and that there's only one bed? There are certain innkeepers you can pay extra in order to ensure this is the case. You would save enough on the extra room that finance wouldn't notice anything amiss.