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The C.F.O. recently told me to “Stop emailing the Boss and pass your ideas to me. I’ll 'filter' them to him as I see fit.”

June 2006

Dear Office-Politics,

Our new C.F.O. seems driven to promote herself to the owner of the business seemingly at everyone else’s expense.

The owner likes my ideas and has asked me to email him and keep him in the loop on my interactions with our clients. However, the C.F.O. recently told me to “Stop emailing him and pass your ideas to me. I’ll “filter” them to him as I see fit.”

I’ve lost interest in having ideas if they have to go through her, be edited and passed on under her name. She has openly taken credit for the work of others, even right in front of them. Her reasoning for this newest instruction was that since he “jumps up and down” at every idea I have it creates more work for her and she’s already very busy. I replied that she should pass the work to me since the idea is mine and I don’t mind taking on the related work. She said the related work is often “management level work” and anyway, she’d rather have me do the “clerical things” she assigns to me (which I do in a timely and efficient manner anyway).

She took credit for the proofreading and editing I did of a internal corporate manual and then was livid when I emailed him mentioning the document and how I had enjoyed fixing it up.

I’ve been anxiously seeking another post elsewhere but to no avail as yet. I thoroughly enjoy my work but if the creative part is taken away I think I’ll wither up quickly. She’s taking the enjoyment out of my work life.

Thanks for any suggestions you may have.

Idea-spinner

Dear Idea-spinner,

It seems you have an insecure boss who is threatened and/or annoyed by you. As a result, she is trying to keep you contained in a limited role that does not serve your needs. Good for you to know what you want and need, and for trying to make it happen.

Have you tried to speak to the owner in a polite and clear way? Let the owner know how you are feeling and ask for assistance in creating a work environment that meets your needs. Phrase it that you want everyone to be successful and that you want to have meaningful work and get appropriate credit. It is good you are looking for viable options as a back up if the situation does not remedy itself. But for now, try a direct approach with the boss. Let me know how it goes.

Thanks for writing to Office-Politics.

Arnie Herz

Arnie Herz, Esq.
Author, LegalSanity
Attorney at Law