I’ve been in my job for about two years, and I’m simply going to say it: I don’t have an important supervisor. The most important sticking level has been his over-emphasis on the staff hanging out and “attending to know one another.” He by no means bothers to schedule work time for us to try this, however when we now have obligatory work occasions outdoors of regular hours, he needs the staff to proceed hanging out after the occasion ends, typically late into the evening.
We lately got here again from an enormous work occasion that had lengthy days, obligatory staff dinners, and different required occasions. A few of these occasions went on till late at evening (10 or 11 pm). After they had been achieved, I’d say my goodbyes to everybody after which return to my room to recharge and sleep, or go meet a neighborhood buddy for a dessert or cocktail earlier than going again to the lodge to sleep.
After we received again to the workplace, my supervisor requested for a gathering to debrief the occasion, however the first query he requested was how a lot time I used to be capable of spend with the staff whereas had been there. I used to be confused since this was a week-long occasion and I used to be with the staff your entire time, so I reiterated that I used to be in any respect work occasions and receptions with everybody else. He replied that it looks as if the staff doesn’t actually know me very properly and I ought to spend extra time attending to know them. All I might work out was that he was upset that I hadn’t continued to hang around with my colleagues after the work agenda ended every evening.
This isn’t the primary time that he has introduced this as much as me, and it has all the time appeared like he’s the one one who cares. My different colleagues and our senior management have by no means raised this, and in reality I’ve nice relationships with lots of them – to the purpose the place, once they’re in my city, we’ll exit to dinner with our households or seize breakfast within the morning earlier than they head to the airport.
And but for 2 years now, I’ve acquired fairly fixed suggestions from my supervisor (and solely my supervisor) that “the notion is that individuals don’t know you.” After I ask him to clarify precisely what meaning and the way I can get to know them higher, he by no means has any solutions. On this newest dialog, after I requested what he thought I ought to do to get to know my colleagues higher, all he stated was, “I don’t know.”
I’ve all the time held agency that though I’m completely satisfied to attend a contented hour or networking occasion, as soon as my work hours are achieved and I’m not required to be someplace, I can do what I please (particularly if it’s late at evening!).
I’m annoyed that he retains bringing this up and it doesn’t affect my precise work. Am I proper to be upset about his not-so-subtle ideas that all of us have to maintain hanging out even after our work days are achieved? I really feel strongly that I mustn’t must consistently hang around with my colleagues, however I don’t know the place to go from right here.