我的新老闆完全不看好我。我該怎麼辦?
我們公司的執行長剛剛被解僱。他是我的輔導人，在他手下，我擢升很快。這個新上任的傢伙搞辦公室政治，而且有自己中意的人。我過去跟他有過一點口角，他對我是既不喜歡也不看好。我不想走;我喜歡這份工作、喜歡這份收入、也喜歡公司文化。我怎樣才能讓他相信我值得留下呢?好好工作並不能實現這個目標——我以前一直都好好工作，而他從來沒注意過。我覺得奉承也不會有用。您有何高見呢?
經理，男性，37歲
露西的回答
對你來說，情況似乎真的糟糕得不能再糟糕了。就在我寫這個回答的時候，你的新老闆可能正在挑選自己的新團隊，而你很可能不在其中。他既不喜歡你也不看好你，而你又不能做什麼來改變這種情況。去見他、告訴他你有多棒——這個你連想都不要想。他還是會覺得你沒有希望，而且會把你當成一個討厭鬼、一個吹牛大王。
你可以指望的最好情況就是，出於某些政治原因，他發現撤掉你比留住你更成問題。如果這樣的話，你可能會與他共事更長時間。有一點你說得對：努力工作不可能給他留下好印象：以我的經驗來看，如果老闆有意挑你的毛病，他就永遠看不到你工作出色。
奉承也許會更有用，不過很難奏效。只有用那個人最喜歡的方式去奉承他，才會成功。不過，聽起來你是最不能恰當奉承他的人了。
你說，他不看好你、不喜歡你。但是，你看好他、喜歡他嗎?我強烈感到，你也不喜歡他。這意味著，取悅他也許會讓你大倒胃口——而且還會讓你懷疑這種努力值不值。
所以，就算你挺過了第一次裁人，只要他還是執行長，你就不會幹得好或心情舒暢。也許你會想，他很快就會被解僱，你可以挺到那個時候。如果這就是你的策略，那麼，下一次你必須遵守政治組織的基本法則：一個輔導人是不夠的。
所有這些也許只是假設，因為我敢說你很快就會遭到突然解僱。所以，從今天開始再找一份工作吧，但不要匆忙行事。在受到逼迫之前跳槽是錯誤的。受到逼迫的好處是，你往往會因此而拿到一大筆錢。
讀者高見
談話解決
跟他當面對質。解釋你的擔心，告訴他，你認為你工作做得很好，卻覺得他不這麼想;是這樣嗎?如果他說是，你怎麼解決呢?你還應該和以前的執行長保持聯繫。他也許會重出江湖，並採取那種古老的手段，讓自己身邊圍滿阿諛奉承的人。
董事，男性，58歲
靜觀其變
你很幸運，有一份自己喜歡、薪水不菲的工作。也許按兵不動是上策，繼續工作，看看會發生什麼。
分析師，女性，46歲
不新鮮
我在一家法國銀行工作期間，曾連續三次遇到類似的問題。那家銀行是內部政治和任人唯親的極端例證。第一次，我的應對辦法是跟著我輔導人去了他的新崗位。第二次，當我老闆再次調任時，我提前調動了工作。最後一次，我對新上任又毫不幫忙的執行長容忍了好幾個月，直到最後成功談妥了一筆數目可觀的遣散費。
前銀行家，男性，53歲
你死定了
這種情況我遇到過兩次，每次我都沒能倖免於難。第一次，我成了「冗餘人員」——新老闆的助手搶走了我的工作。第二次，我成了「質量、安全和環境經理」——如果有哪種工作算不上是工作的話，這就是一個。
經理，男性，49歲
大發雷霆
提問的這廝是個什麼東西?
教練，男性，54歲
My new boss doesn't rate me at all. What can I do?
My chief executive has just been fired. He was my mentor and under him I have been rapidly promoted. The new guy is political and has his favourites. I've had a some run-ins with him in the past and he neither likes me nor rates me. I don't want to leave; I like the work and money and the culture. How do I convince him I'm worth keeping? Doing great work won't achieve that – I've done that before and he's never noticed. I don't think being smarmy is going to work either. Any ideas?
Manager, male, 37
LUCY'S ANSWER
Things are looking irredeemably grim for you. Your new boss will be choosing his new team even as I write this, and chances are you won't be on it. He neither likes nor rates you and there's little you can do to change that. Don't even think of going to see him and telling him how great you are. He'd still think you hopeless, but would put you down as a pain and a bragger too.
Your best hope is that for some political reason he finds getting rid of you is more problematic than keeping you. If so, you'll have more time to work on him. You are right that working hard is unlikely to impress him: in my experience good work always goes undetected by a boss intent on seeing your flaws.
Smarmy might work better, though it is difficult to bring off. It only succeeds when done in precisely the way that individual likes best. It sounds as if you are the last person to be able to get this right with him.
You say he doesn't rate or like you, but do you rate or like him? I get the strong impression you don't. This means that setting out to please him may turn your stomach – and make you wonder if the effort is worth it.
So even if you survive the first cut, you are not going to do well or be happy for as long as he stays chief executive. Maybe you reason that he'll be fired soon and that you can hang on until then. If that's your strategy, next time you must obey the fundamental law of political organisations: one mentor is not enough.
All this is probably hypothetical, as I daresay you'll be out on your ear soon. So start looking for another job today, but don't do anything hasty. It would be a mistake to jump before you are pushed. The great thing about being pushed is that you tend to get paid handsomely for the privilege
YOUR ADVICE
Talking cure
Confront him. Explain your concerns and tell him that you think you are doing great work but feel he doesn't think you are; is this the case? If he says yes, how can you address it? You should also keep in contact with your old chief executive. He may resurface and want to do the age-old cop-out of surrounding himself with sycophants.
Director, male, 58
Waiting game
You are fortunate to have a well-paying job that you enjoy. Perhaps it would be best if you just stay put, get on with your work and see what happens.
Analyst, female, 46
Been there
I have had a similar problem three times running, while working for that ultimate example of internal politics and the power of patronage – a French bank. My first solution was to follow my mentor to his new position. The second time, when my boss again moved, I negotiated an early change of employment. Finally, I endured the third, new and unsupportive chief executive for several months until successfully negotiating a decent cheque to go home.
Ex-banker, male, 53
You're doomed
The situation has happened to me twice and both times I did not fare well. The first time I was made 「redundant」 – my new boss's assistant got my job. The second time I ended up as the 「quality, safety and environmental manager」 – a non-job if ever there was one.
Manager, male, 49
Browned off
Exactly which is it who is asking?
Coach, male, 54