Hi. I was after a personality type for my new boss. I am in sales. I can't peg it down. I usually can communicate with people easily from all walks and ages but he stumps me and makes it hard for me to think straight. What makes it harder is he shows no emotions really and has a stiff neck which he can't seem to move. I think that doesn't help me read him.
He mostly asks questions he knows I don't know and hasn't taught me and gets frustrated when I don't know the answer. Like when I went in before starting my first day. He asks "What time I think I should get there" I said you tell me. He asked again. I answered what I think. Explained I like to be early etc.
Rather than teach me how to sell the product on my first day he walks me up to it and asks me to tell him aboht it. I try. He asks me the capacity in millimeters and it's competitors when can see I am still trying to grasp the other 20 or so features it has.
He asks me if I have somewhere to record my to-do list then says my note book will be "ok for now" . Then when I make a simple spreadsheet template (to make it easier to follow) that I printed and kept in my draw so it was neat and out of the way. The same thing I did with my book. He got really annoyed and said I wasn't authorised to record my list this way and hide it in me desk. He needs to be able to check it in my book. If he asked for it I would have happily handed it to him.
My main struggle is he just always asks me questions right from day one that I couldn't know the answer to yet being new. But I could sense frustration in my not knowing the answers.
I'm used to being taught then asked.
It really hindered my learning. After a talk with him one day when I was really frustrated. I figured I just can't let it get to me. I like him but just don't get him so I didn't let it get to me. All of a sudden I start selling like I know I can.
I still get nervous when I know he is within earshot of me if I'm talking to a customer because it always feels like what I do is wrong. He will bit in like I'm an idiot if I don't know something.
I suddenly sell 6 or 7 items in the week I started actually relaxing and selling and I heard him say "well done today" as I walked out the door on 1 occassion. He said it again the other day when I sealed a deal easily that he probably thought I wouldn't. It almost feels like he doesn't want to tell me but does because he feels he has to.
Again I'm used to people telling you In a conversation regularly. "your doing good" or "Your doing OK, just try this and it will help".
I like where I work and like the people. Including him. I just some advice on how to handle my boss so I can relax and show him how good I know ow I can be.