I can see the fat lady getting ready to sing

[ShortInSeattle]

I have discussed that possibility with her (and considered it myself), but we are talking about a sweet, Midwestern girl who has some problems with assertiveness.

Sounds like a valued employee who would benefit from some coaching (from you). So many of us business chicks need to learn assertiveness. We worry that assertive = bitchy, when being (respectfully) assertive is a valuable technique.

Good luck with your situation. CEO transitions are tough.

 

[jjquantz]

Great … the world desperately needs more think tanks!


I’m rather confused by this.

If you were effectively the woman’s boss, why did you not realize earlier that she was not receiving the same pay increases as her peers, and go to bat for her? It’s a bit late now.


Which is presumably why she received lower annual increase than most other employees. It is up to her to learn from that experience … or not.

Milton,

If this were anything like a functional organization I would agree with you 100%. As a "team leader" I am the one who assigns tasks, coordinates activities, etc. In essence, it is my job to make sure that the work gets done. Unfortunately, it is not my job to give performance appraisals (which haven't happened in the last two years, anyway) or to give pay increases. Or, apparently, to even be informed about them.

I will plead guilty to not being sufficiently assertive to push for this staff person.

What's doubly insulting, confusing, etc. is that the 3% was, at one point described as the standard COLA for the entire staff. So again, I plead guilty for not following through and checking to see if the organization was following through on what they said they were doing. Of course, this staff member might have let me know, but that is the assertiveness thing that several folks have mentioned that I should be coaching her on.

Good news is that I am being called tomorrow as a reference for a new position that she has applied for, NOT in our organization.

I DO agree 100% with your think tank comment. That's why I AM out of here after my programs wrap up.