What is a person to do when their office manager’s new “leadership” style makes their once-loved job unbearable? This was the topic of a recent Dear Annie column.
The central conflict stems from the letter writer’s strained relationship with “Diane,” the office manager at a small dental practice. After completing a leadership development course, Diane began micromanaging every aspect of the writer’s work—double-checking notes, questioning short breaks, and rearranging supplies.
The writer has worked at the practice for eight years, loves the patients, and gets along well with the dentists, but Diane’s behavior has made the environment stressful. A calm conversation with Diane changed nothing, and the dentists avoid office politics.
Now, the writer feels torn between speaking up again or leaving a job they’ve cherished for years. Annie’s advice? Skip the middle step and go directly to the dentists. While they may dislike drama, they value good employees and deserve to know why the writer is considering leaving.
Annie emphasizes that the writer has already tried the polite approach, and if the situation doesn’t improve, it’s time to advocate for themselves before walking away.
Read other recent Dear Annie columns
Dear Annie: Host is tired of ungrateful guests
Dear Annie: Thoughts on the changing seasons
Dear Annie: My friends didn’t celebrate my engagement like I did theirs
Dear Annie: Mother-in-law refuses to follow our rules when she watches our daughter
Dear Annie: Co-worker’s tendency to micromanage has me ready to look for a new job
View prior ‘Dear Annie’ columns
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