Dear Dr. Mimi: The Office Dictator

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Dear Dr. Mimi:
One of our coworkers has been temporarily promoted to department supervisor. She has become a dictator overnight. She literally yells out orders and sets unrealistic deadlines. When I approached her, she said that she is just doing her job and that I should not take it personally. I am not taking it personally. All of us feel she is being demanding beyond the call of duty. Help!
—Fed Up

Dear Fed Up:
It is obvious that she wants to show results so that her position will become permanent. However, she has not learned that she will get better results if she leads rather than pushes people. If “all of you” feel this way, then, as a group, you need to meet with your new supervisor, share your concerns, and, together, set some goals and norms of behavior. You may also want to consider using an outside consultant as a mediator. Some team building could be helpful.
—Dr. Mimi

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