THE PROBLEM

I have just started in a new role to drum up clients for a corporate consultancy. My manager is a 50-something male who has been in his job for decades and whose highlight of the day is a hot lunch in the office canteen. I've repeatedly tried to enthuse him about commercial possibilities, but he scoffs and sends me off on wild goose chases. I now realise he has been secretly siphoning off the leads and passing them off as his own. Is there a way to remedy this infantile behaviour?

Discontented, 40-something female

LUCY'S ANSWER

Your boss is a fool. Not because he passes your work off as his own: this makes perfect sense and is what most bosses do. By claiming some of the credit for work done by juniors, seniors justify their higher salaries and grander positions.

Neither is your boss a fool for looking forward to his lunch in the canteen – these reliable pleasures are hard to come by and if he has found one, then good luck to him. Indeed, enjoying a hot meal at lunchtime makes him sound like a predictable, reasonable sort of person who you should be managing a lot better than you are, of which more in a minute.

Instead, what makes him a fool is that he has alienated you. If he were a good manager he would be able to take some credit for your work when he talks to his seniors, but when he talks to you he should be generous and lay on the praise with a trowel. That way you go on providing the leads that go towards paying both of your salaries.

He is managing you badly; but it sounds as if you are making an even worse job of dealing with him. Your contempt shines through in the way you've written your problem, and I bet you've communicated that to him.

If he is the sort of traditional male who can only cope with ideas that are his own, you need to pander to that. Have a toad-in-the-hole with him one day in the canteen and try to talk about the issue nicely. Congratulate him on following up your leads.

If he comes to distrust you a little less, things may run a lot more smoothly before long.

YOUR ADVICE

Head down

You were hired to drum up new business, so go and do it. Expect your line manager to attempt sabotage, since you might replace him. Become unavailable for his wild goose chases, and work your own leads.

Invite him to early breakfast meetings to keep him informed, and don't be available for him to interrupt you in the office. Enlist a mentor or two, and make sure you're credited for every client you win.

Headhunter, male, 51

Quit

I had exactly this problem with an older male boss. Eventually I challenged him – only to be accused of not being a team player. Eventually I quit. I suggest you do the same, swiftly.

Banker, female, 29

Shout about it

Brag about the work you are doing to your colleagues – then if your boss tries to pass the work off as his own, people won't be fooled. Of course, this could make you look like you are showing off or make people think it is in fact your boss who is doing the work and YOU who is taking credit for it.

Female, analyst, 32

Canteen?

Your problem may be worse than you think. You work for a management consultancy that only has a canteen? All the decent ones have restaurants. Start looking around today.

Director, male, 39

Shop him

Shop him to his boss. Get some concrete examples and emasculate him. You might get canned but so what? Do them for unfair dismissal.

Anon, male

Hold out bait

Heed the words of Sun Tzu: “Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder and crush him.” Create leads that seem valid and feed them to the manager, keeping the true leads close to your chest. Surprise your superiors with great results, and watch your tormentor flounder.

Female, anon

問題

我剛開始做一份新工作，為一個公司顧問機構招徠客戶。我的經理是一個50多歲的男人，已經工作了幾十年，一天中最重要的事就是在公司食堂吃一頓熱乎乎的午餐。我多次努力喚起他對商業可能性的熱情，但他總是像轟鴨子一樣嘲笑我、打發我。現在，我意識到，他私下里從我的建議里吸取精華，使之成為自己的東西。有什么辦法改變他這種幼稚的行為嗎？

心懷不滿的40多歲女人

露西的回答

你老板是個傻瓜。這么說不是因為他竊取你的工作成果：這么做無可指摘，大多數老板都這么做。級別較高者就是通過把級別較低者的功勞歸到自己名下，來證明自己理應享有更高的薪水和更高的職位。

你老板是傻瓜，也不是因為他熱切期盼著食堂的午餐——這些可靠的樂趣是很難得到的，如果他找到了一個，還真挺幸運。實際上，他喜歡在午餐時間吃一頓熱乎乎的飯菜，反而讓他聽起來像是那種靠譜的、講道理的人，你應該馬上改善和他的相處才對。

之所以說他是傻瓜，是因為他疏遠了你。如果他是一個好經理，他可以在自己上司面前把你的功勞歸到自己頭上，但是，當他跟你說話時，就應該不吝惜贊美之詞，大肆褒揚你。那樣的話，你會繼續奉上自己的主意，還能讓你們兩個人都得到加薪。

他對你很差；不過，聽起來，你在跟他打交道方面表現得更差。你在寫這個問題時，字里行間流露著蔑視。我敢打賭，你肯定也把這種情緒傳達給他了。

如果他是那種傳統的男人，什么事都只能依他的主意，那么，你就需要迎合。找一天，跟他在食堂吃一頓面糊烤香腸(toad-in-the-hole)，試著和顏悅色地跟他談談這個問題。如果他聽從你的建議，就向他表示祝賀。

如果他減輕對你的不信任，情況可能很快就會大為好轉。

讀者建議

忍氣吞聲

公司雇你招徠新業務，你就做你的事好了。除非你的頂頭上司因為你有可能取代他而搞陰謀破壞。別讓他有機會對你轟鴨子，你自己琢磨自己那些想法好了。

請他大清早跟你一起吃早餐，向他通報工作情況，然后別讓他在辦公室里有機會打斷你工作。找一兩個良師益友，確保你贏得的每個客戶都能為你增添功勞。

獵頭，男性，51歲

辭職

我恰好跟一個比我年長的老板有同樣的問題。最后我跟他對著干了起來——結果只是受到指責，說我不能與人合作。最后我辭職了。我建議你也那么做，快點。

銀行家，女性，29歲

大聲說出來

向你的同事們吹噓一下你做的工作——這樣的話，如果你的老板再把你的功勞歸到他的頭上，人們就不會被他愚弄了。當然，這樣做也有可能讓你看起來像是在炫耀，或者讓人們以為，實際上是你老板做了工作，而你在搶功勞。

女性，分析師，32歲

食堂？

你的問題也許比你想的還要糟。你所在的管理咨詢公司只有一個食堂？但凡體面一些的公司都有餐廳。從今天開始，你還是另外找找工作機會吧。

主管，男性，39歲

舉報

向他的老板舉報。搜集一些具體的例子，讓他無力辯駁。你有可能被辭掉，不過那又如何？正是因為遭遇不公平，才要這么做。

匿名，男性

兵不厭詐

記住孫子說過：“利而誘之，亂而取之。”寫出一些貌似正確的建議，交給這位經理，而把真正的建議保存好。用好的業績讓你的上級大吃一驚，然后看那個讓你痛苦的人的好戲吧。

女性，匿名