DILEMMA OF THE MONTH
How can I share managing duties with a manager who ’ s totally different ?
BY Suzanne Lucas
ILLUSTRATION : JOHN CHASE
The owner wants everyone back in the office at least a couple of times a week . This is a small business with only two managers : Jane and me . One of us needs to be in the office every day . This is fine . We worked out a schedule . The problem is , Jane and I have very different management styles . Instead of managing our own people , we are now managing everyone half the time . I feel like I can ’ t overrule Jane ’ s bad decisions , but I also feel like I can ’ t let them stand . How do I work this out ?
Hybrid work schedules are my favorite scenario . People get the benefits of less commuting , more time with their families , and interaction with coworkers . It also brings a new set of problems . Let ’ s fix one of them .
First , I ’ m going to make two assumptions . 1 . Everybody is working a hybrid schedule . Or at least , everyone who wants to work from home sometimes is . This answer would be very different if the employees are in the office full time while the management comes and goes as they please . ( And the answer would be to stop that . It ’ s either everyone or no one .)
2 . This is purely a management style issue . Jane isn ’ t saying , “ Go ahead and get drunk during lunch ! Sexual harassment is OK !” She ’ s simply different , and you
20 comstocksmag . com | August 2022