Dear Jeremy – your work issues solved

Man tied Up In Red Tape
Moving from self-employment to a large organisation can easily lead to a feeling of being tied up in red tape. Photograph: Corbis

I need help getting to grips with bureaucracy of a large organisation

After four years of self-employment I recently started a job that I love, in an organisation I admire. However, my enthusiasm has been somewhat dampened by the processes and bureaucracy of the organisation.

When I want to do something my instinct is to go directly to the person who will help me achieve this, completely forgetting about informing their line manager or other departments that might have a say in this.

I also don't understand email etiquette: for instance, why so many emails and why people need to be copied in on emails or who to copy on an email – if at all.

I go from berating myself for not understanding that large organisations are a big web of people who need to be informed at all times in order to work to a common strategy, to becoming frustrated as I spend little time doing my "real" job and a lot of time trying to understand the system.

I don't want to go back to self-employment. I'm also on an interim job contract (maternity cover) so I want to leave this job having made a good impression. However, I think I'm going to spend more time trying to understand how it works than actually contributing to the organisation. Is this a common frustration when dealing with a large organisation?

Jeremy says

Let me piece together three facts. You've just spent four years being self-employed. You've only recently joined this big organisation. And big organisations have communications needs that self-employed people don't.

Please don't jump to the conclusion that, by listing these facts, I'm about to blame all your dissatisfaction exclusively on you. I'm not.

Take the email issue. I often think that if people were rationed in the number of ccs they could append to each email, or if they were charged a nominal sum for every cc they added above, say, three, then some sort of corporate sanity might be restored.

The trouble, of course, is that emails appear to carry no cost; that an email with 35 ccs seems to be no more extravagant than an email with two; and that, while people might well be criticised for omitting someone's name from an email, they'll seldom be criticised for including half the company. So better safe than sorry: in goes everybody.

As a newcomer, fresh from self-employment, you'll be far more acutely aware of all this than the old-timers. You've yet to acquire familiarity. It's a bit like that little wine stain on the sitting-room carpet; after a time, you stop noticing it.

The other thing you've yet to acquire is low cunning. Almost instinctively, intelligent people in large organisations learn to conform to those procedures that are necessary and helpful for them and work their way round those that aren't. It's almost impossible for any large company to devise rules and systems that are equally applicable to absolutely everybody.

The longer you stay with this company, the simpler life will seem. But in the meantime, don't waste the value of your newcomer's eye. There will be some procedures, probably rooted in the past, that have no current value whatsoever. In the gentlest possible manner, you should bring these to the attention of your manager.

Readers say

• How on earth did someone who has been self-employed fall right into the "incredible, employees have to deal with bureaucracy" trap? The ability to avoid that is one of the big motivators for a lot of us to be self-employed.

Some of us are made to be suppliers, not bureaucrats (which is a term that by no means applies just to public servants, a lot of other organisations are even worse). Maybe you are one of them? oommph

• This is just how large companies work in my experience. The thing to remember is that you might think you know the way to get something done, but it's possible that another team is already half way through getting something done which is related. If you bypass the lines of communication then you might duplicate a lot of work.

That's the theory anyway; often people like to be involved for empire-building, which is just painful and frustrating. jayaess

• The first thing I do when I start a new job is arm myself with an organisational chart, list of key contacts, any committees, who the directors are, etc, then I ask my new colleagues (once – I write it all down!) how things work – from getting post delivered to IT support. Think of this as your weapon rather than a hindrance to your job. The better you know how your organisation works, the faster you can operate in the long term.

It's worth spending the time doing this. Don't mention you find it a problem to your colleagues as it may look unprofessional and naive. Get to grips and take your job by the horns! Good luck. Ecomouse1

My lazy boss is vocal, bossy and whispering. What can I do about it?

I am very happy at my workplace. Everything is great apart from my boss. He is not working hard enough and this is demotivating and unfair. He chats all day to other colleagues and would do anything to avoid work. He had a flexitime option agreed by his manager (to start and finish work 30 minutes earlier) but he's just coming in at the normal time and leaving 30 minutes early because nobody can check – I happen to know because I start early sometimes.

He's very vocal and bossy and his boss is not bothered. I have already complained about this but I can't achieve anything. I would love to work fewer hours and spend more time with my family and also beat the traffic.

Another issue which is annoying is that he whispers to other managers in the open plan office and it sounds like gossiping. It feels as if they are talking about us, the humble employees. I know there is not a lot I can do because I am not my boss's boss and I don't want to leave my job because of this. Is there anything I can do?

Jeremy says

You say you've already complained about your boss's time-keeping. I wonder who you complained to? Your boss's boss, perhaps? I can't imagine that went down too well.

However factually accurate your accusation, there's something fairly unappealing about an employee keeping an eye on a superior's punctuality and then reporting it. Complaining about inappropriate social behaviour – language, say, or harassment – is certainly OK and indeed responsible; but the fact that your boss routinely chops 30 minutes off his working day should be of concern only to management. You disapprove of his habits while at the same time wishing you could do the same. What's mainly bugging you is your sense of injustice. And you're letting it get to you.

It's often easy to tell when people have let things bug them: it's the "and another thing" condition. Your boss's whispering seems to me a perfect example. Because he irritates you in other ways, you've allowed yourself to believe ("and another thing") that he's gossiping about you and the rest of his "humble employees". He may be; but he probably isn't.

I know I sound unsympathetic, but I'm seriously concerned that you might quite needlessly allow your irritation to become an obsession – and that will do your reputation no good at all.

By the sound of it, your boss is quite a flaky person. If he's as much of a chancer as you think he is, sooner or later someone will not only notice but also take action. Meanwhile, you have the rare good fortune to be very happy in your job. Everything other than your boss is great. Why put all that at risk by being seen to be a bit of a troublemaker with an almost unhealthy fixation? Do all you can to simmer down – and carry on regardless.

Readers say

• You say you are very happy at your workplace, yet your whole letter complains about a range of things that bother you. As an employee relations specialist, one of my bugbears is people who moan non-stop about a manager or a colleague yet won't actually have an informal conversation with the individual concerned about issues that bother or upset them.

It saves so much time and energy and makes for a happier, more open workplace. Your manager would probably be mortified and upset that you have such a low opinion of him. DivineMrsMac

• Instead of wasting time complaining about his behaviour you should work hard to prove how valuable your contribution to the company is, then request flexitime for yourself. This is far likelier to be granted if you haven't developed a reputation as a jealous malcontent. 11101

• It's never going to win you friends if you clock-watch for your boss and he may well do work outside his core office hours that you are not aware of. Chatting to others can be an important part of office life, especially at managerial level. ExBrightonBelle


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