Q & A Table of Contents
I Outrank Them, But Other Managers Have Offices And I Don't
From: Dale, Tupelo, Mississippi
Question: I am a department manager for my company. We recently moved to a new location and with the move all other department managers got their own offices. I was stuck without an office -- in my department with my employees.
I normally like the interaction with the people I manage but I have no privacy to work on department goals, strategy, or other tasks. If I want to counsel one of my workers I have go to another manager's office.
We have space beside my area to add an office but my boss just won't listen to any of my concerns. I am the senior manager of all the managers that have come to work for us and it's getting to the point where I am thinking of leaving. The only time my boss really listens is when he has a serious problem he wants me to fix!!!! I need help.
Response: Before you have your next conversation with your boss, spend some time on your own thinking about who has a stake in this situation: yourself, your boss, other managers, employees, perhaps customers, owners of the company, and other stakeholders you may identify. Think of how the potential outcomes of your negotiation might have an impact on each of them. For example, will the owners be damaged by the expense of building a new office for you? Will other managers feel slighted? Will the boss benefit by your increased productivity?
In this preparation process, try to think about what your boss -- or others -- may have to gain by denying you an office. A classic definition of a bureaucrat is that s/he is someone who derives their entire self-image from their power to say 'No'.
The other thing is to consider your BATNA, your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. Your capacity to find a good job outside your present company needs to be investigated; that will tell you how strong one element of your BATNA is. You also need to consider your boss's BATNA -- what does he risk if you disappear, if he gives you an office, if he has to train someone new to do your job, etc.?
When your boss comes to you with a serious problem, that's probably a good time to undertake the bargaining process. "If I take care of your problem, then what will you do about mine?" could be a question that helps you get what you want.
Good luck,
Steve
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