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HOW TO: Deal With a
Difficult Boss at Work
Benny Spielmann, 37,
Huntington Woods
Conflict prevention in the workplace...
Benny is the North American partner
for Ciot, located in Troy. Ciot is the
largest marble and granite supplier in the
Midwest, specializing in unique building
materials. Based in Montreal, Ciot
products have a strong European style.
Benny graduated from Tel Aviv University
with a degree in architecture and Lawrence
Tech University with a post-bachelor's train-
ing degree in architecture.
With his education in architecture,
Benny began his career working for
Nudell Architects and then Ron Jona
Architects. Working closely on building proj-
ects, Benny saw a need for additional mate-
rials that were not readily available in this
area. He decided to begin importing unique
materials from Italy, Spain, Israel and other
European countries to assist in the projects he
was working on.
The demand for these rare granite and
marbles continued to grow. Realizing he had
a unique opportunity with his design back-
ground to understand the material needs of
clients, he opened his first store and ware-
house, Stonewood, in 2003. In 2008, Benny
decided to partner with one of his biggest
suppliers, Ciot, which has a warehouse and
store in Troy and seven additional locations it
Montreal, Toronto and Quebec.
Even if you are not in the market for stone,
marble, granite or onyx, you can stop in to see
some of the miracles our Earth has created. •
What has kept Benny in Southeast
Michigan are the people he has met and the
business contacts he has made.
"This area has a tightknit Jewish communi-
ty and resources that will be helpful in raising
my kids to have a strong Jewish identity," he
said. Benny's hope for this area is that it will
begin to re-grow and develop like many other
great cities.
Outside of running a flourishing busi-
ness, Benny spends time doing work with the
Friends of the IDF and enjoys spending time
with his wife Katie, and their young children.
Every employee craves to work in a
utopian environment; however,
seldom does the 9-5 job present
itself (complete with three free-
standing walls and a chair minus
the lumbar support) to the average
employee.
At some point in your life, you
will most likely come across a dif-
ficult boss or supervisor. Common
bad boss behaviors one might
encounter are: intimidation, incom-
petence, harassment and discrimi-
nation, lack of respect and
mismanagement. Many employees
feel that when they have an over-
controlling or confrontational boss
they are at a complete loss and give
in to the situation. While one may
not be able to always correct or
understand their boss' or supervi-
sor's behaviors, you should never be
fearful of them or let their power
stand in the way of your work.
Here are some strategies on how
to handle a difficult boss:
1) DISCUSS VS. CONFRONT.
If your boss is the confronta-
tional type, make sure to take
a break from the conversation
before you respond. Especially
if you have a temper, take the
time to cool down. Don't react
events
A.I.M. B2B NETWORKING
Wednesday, July 14, 4-5:30 p.m.
Birmingham Tower, Lower Level Conference
Room, Birmingham
Sponsored by AGIS, this session is only open to
individuals involved in business-to-business sales.
Targeted towards corporate attorneys, CPAs, sales
reps, financial planners, business owners, HR reps,
etc. We are looking for folks who think outside of
the box and are creative in their sales approach.
This group is NOT open to group insurance profes-
sionals or individuals who target consumers. There
are no expectations, guidelines or fees.
DOMINATING A GOOGLE PAGE
Saturday, July 17, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
17177 Laurel Park Drive North (in cafeteria
on first floor), Livonia
Right Now Marketing Group LLC presents a one-day
workshop that will teach you how to dominate Page
1 of Google with the search words for your busi-
ness. Learn how to build a website for yourself and
your customers that will go to the No. 1 top spot in
Google and Yahoo, with phrases people use when
looking for your product or service, to post press
releases, classifieds and blogs to all the top sites,
to have thousands of one-way, high-ranking site
links leading to your site ... and more! Cost: $125,
advance; $150 at door. For more information:
http://www.megaeveningevent.com/real-estate-
event-details.php?id=303
BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
IMPROVEMENT 2.0
Tuesday, July 20, 4-6 p.m.
Birmingham Tower, Lower Level Contemn -
Room, Birmingham
Topic: How Your Company Can Outperform In The
New Decade. Business Performance Improvement
2.0 is a program of the Business Improvement Team
LLC to bring area entrepreneurs together in an
intimate setting with other entrepreneurs who are
reaching the pinnacle of success, for which we all
strive. Each meeting will focus on different pertinent
topics. There will be a panel of business experts
from the Business Improvement Team to answer
your business questions. And this will be an exciting
opportunity to network with your peers. For more
information: http://www.bizimpteam.com/events.
FIND A JOB PINK SLIP TOUR
-
Thursday, July 22, 4-8 n,m.
Int ice at MGM Hotel, Detroit
The Pink Slip Tour, sponsored by Virgin Mobile, is
a jobs tour organized by JobsDirectUSA to connect
career professionals with hiring companies across
multiple U.S. cities. Each event is free to attend;
there will also be mobile phone giveaways courtesy
of Virgin Mobile. Job seekers and recruiters network
one-on-one from 2 to 5 minutes at a time — think of
the concept "speed dating for jobs." Correspondent
Kelly Blanco will be on site interviewing job seekers
as they walk down the "Pink Carpet" to mingle with
local hiring managers and recruiters. Job seekers
should bring copies of their resume, dress to succeed
and practice their 30-second commercials before
attending. Remember, you might be speaking to your
potential next employer before the night is over. For
more information: http://www.pinkslippartying.com
out of emotion. You will gain
more respect from your boss if
you come back 20 minutes, an
hour or even a day later to re-
open the conversation. If your
work is being criticized, ask
your boss for constructive criti-
cism on how you can improve.
2) EVALUATE BEFORE
ATTACK. Before you bring in
your blazing guns to your boss,
re-examine your work. Run
everything by several co-work-
ers or a manager for a second
opinion before you engage your
boss for criticism . . . and their
time.
3) KEEP RECORDS. Many
employers hold yearly reviews
where staff performance is
evaluated. If you have a tough
boss, it is in your best interest
to document or keep track of
your achievements throughout
the course of the year (case
work, interactions with clients,
etc.) as well of any complaints
or problems you may have run
into.
4) YOU ARE MY BOSS. Much
of your conflict is in your own
attitude. Accept the fact that
your boss is the way they are
and you most likely aren't
going to change them. Stop
complaining. Stop gossiping.
Stop daydreaming and planning
the next prank. Recognizing
your boss as your boss will
allow you to respect their duties
in a new light.
5) KNOW YOUR LIMITS.
Reasonably evaluate your
situation. If you are in an
abusive work environment,
this may not be the workplace
for you. Have a professional
conversation with your boss
about your concerns. If you
do not see signs of improve-
ment within a couple of weeks,
have a second conversation
with your boss expressing the
seriousness of some of your
concerns (micromanagement,
harassment, etc.). At this point,
you should decide when too
much is too much.
If you would like to submit any events, information or would like to be featured in our section, please contact Rachel Lachover at (248) 351-5156 0
rlachover @ thejewishnews.com . JOIN US ON FACEBOOK; search our group name and fan page "SE MICHIGAN JEWISH ALLIANCE"