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

问题

我刚开始做一份新工作，为一个公司顾问机构招徕客户。我的经理是一个50多岁的男人，已经工作了几十年，一天中最重要的事就是在公司食堂吃一顿热乎乎的午餐。我多次努力唤起他对商业可能性的热情，但他总是像轰鸭子一样嘲笑我、打发我。现在，我意识到，他私下里从我的建议里吸取精华，使之成为自己的东西。有什么办法改变他这种幼稚的行为吗？

心怀不满的40多岁女人

露西的回答

你老板是个傻瓜。这么说不是因为他窃取你的工作成果：这么做无可指摘，大多数老板都这么做。级别较高者就是通过把级别较低者的功劳归到自己名下，来证明自己理应享有更高的薪水和更高的职位。

你老板是傻瓜，也不是因为他热切期盼着食堂的午餐——这些可靠的乐趣是很难得到的，如果他找到了一个，还真挺幸运。实际上，他喜欢在午餐时间吃一顿热乎乎的饭菜，反而让他听起来像是那种靠谱的、讲道理的人，你应该马上改善和他的相处才对。

之所以说他是傻瓜，是因为他疏远了你。如果他是一个好经理，他可以在自己上司面前把你的功劳归到自己头上，但是，当他跟你说话时，就应该不吝惜赞美之词，大肆褒扬你。那样的话，你会继续奉上自己的主意，还能让你们两个人都得到加薪。

他对你很差；不过，听起来，你在跟他打交道方面表现得更差。你在写这个问题时，字里行间流露着蔑视。我敢打赌，你肯定也把这种情绪传达给他了。

如果他是那种传统的男人，什么事都只能依他的主意，那么，你就需要迎合。找一天，跟他在食堂吃一顿面糊烤香肠(toad-in-the-hole)，试着和颜悦色地跟他谈谈这个问题。如果他听从你的建议，就向他表示祝贺。

如果他减轻对你的不信任，情况可能很快就会大为好转。

读者建议

忍气吞声

公司雇你招徕新业务，你就做你的事好了。除非你的顶头上司因为你有可能取代他而搞阴谋破坏。别让他有机会对你轰鸭子，你自己琢磨自己那些想法好了。

请他大清早跟你一起吃早餐，向他通报工作情况，然后别让他在办公室里有机会打断你工作。找一两个良师益友，确保你赢得的每个客户都能为你增添功劳。

猎头，男性，51岁

辞职

我恰好跟一个比我年长的老板有同样的问题。最后我跟他对着干了起来——结果只是受到指责，说我不能与人合作。最后我辞职了。我建议你也那么做，快点。

银行家，女性，29岁

大声说出来

向你的同事们吹嘘一下你做的工作——这样的话，如果你的老板再把你的功劳归到他的头上，人们就不会被他愚弄了。当然，这样做也有可能让你看起来像是在炫耀，或者让人们以为，实际上是你老板做了工作，而你在抢功劳。

女性，分析师，32岁

食堂？

你的问题也许比你想的还要糟。你所在的管理咨询公司只有一个食堂？但凡体面一些的公司都有餐厅。从今天开始，你还是另外找找工作机会吧。

主管，男性，39岁

举报

向他的老板举报。搜集一些具体的例子，让他无力辩驳。你有可能被辞掉，不过那又如何？正是因为遭遇不公平，才要这么做。

匿名，男性

兵不厌诈

记住孙子说过：“利而诱之，乱而取之。”写出一些貌似正确的建议，交给这位经理，而把真正的建议保存好。用好的业绩让你的上级大吃一惊，然后看那个让你痛苦的人的好戏吧。

女性，匿名