Don’t Be Like Joe
I HAD SOME GOOD bosses and some bad ones over my 35-year career. The worst was Joe. He tried to intimidate you. I once overheard him tell another manager that he likes to ride his employees and dig his spurs into them.
What was so terrible about Joe? It wasn���t that he was tough on employees. It was that he was unfair. You incurred his wrath whether you deserved it or not.
I remember the first time I attended a meeting held by Joe. He started shouting at another employee. He stopped for a second to catch his breath, and then turned to me, pointed his finger and said, ���I���m going to get to you next.��� It was Joe���s way of using fear to try to get the maximum effort out of his employees.
Luckily, I was in my 40s when Joe was my boss. By that time, I was a seasoned employee who wasn���t easily intimidated. I���d also been contributing to the pension plan for almost 20 years. I wasn���t about to throw that away and quit because of Joe���s outbursts.
After Joe retired, there was a major reorganization within the company. Kevin was now my boss. He was one of the best managers I ever worked for. He was the antithesis of Joe. He showed you respect and treated you fairly. In return, employees gave their best effort. I never heard anyone say a bad word about Kevin. That���s how much he was liked by his employees.
Although I didn���t report directly to him, he took an interest in everyone under his leadership. One day, Kevin pulled me aside in the factory. He said, ���I appreciate the outstanding work you���ve done for us. I���m also embarrassed at what we���re paying you. You���re underpaid for what you're doing. I'm going to fix that.���
What was so remarkable about that conversation: I���d never complained or asked for more money, but it didn't matter. Kevin supported all his employees. He was there for you.
I had no idea what my coworkers were making. Kevin was in a better position to know whether I deserved more compensation. He gave me a promotion and an 18% pay raise. Two months later, we had our annual review. I was given another generous raise. Within a short period, I was making almost 25% more money.
When the boss I reported to informed me of my new salary, he asked if I was going to buy a new car. At the time, I drove a late model Toyota Camry. But I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the money. Save it. I continued to max out my 401(k) plan contributions. When I reached age 50, I added regular catchup contributions. I also increased my contributions to my taxable Vanguard Group account.
When I look back, the person who had the biggest impact on my financial security was my manager, Kevin. That���s why it���s important to not only find the right job, but also the right boss.
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