The Relationship Between You and the Funding Manager

One of the managers Sherri reports to has a history of acting as if widespread bias in the healthcare industry doesn’t exist. In addition to those subtle acts of exclusion, there are the more overt, personal slights. The manager recently led Sherri to believe she was going to secure a new leadership opportunity only to withdraw it the same week, without ever acknowledging the about-face. Then, a tirade over email in response to what Sherri thought was a straightforward request.

Sherri otherwise loves her job and doesn’t want to quit before exhausting all options for making the relationship work. What should she do? What should you do if you find yourself in a similar situation?

In this episode, Amy Gallo talks with Sherri about her situation and recommends tactics for her to try. By the end, Sherri knows what she needs to do to disarm the manager while protecting herself from their aggressions.

Resources:

• Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People), by Amy Gallo
• “Women Experience More Incivility at Work — Especially from Other Women,” by Allison S. Gabriel et al.
• “Your Boss Made a Biased Remark. Should You Confront Them?” by Aneeta Rattan
• “Recognizing and Responding to Microaggressions at Work,” by Ella F. Washington
• “Research: Shifting the Power Balance with an Abusive Boss,” by Hui Liao et al.
• “What to Do When Your Boss Betrays You,” by Ron Carucci

Sign up for the Women at Work newsletter.

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org