How To Handle Superiors

"The Master Key."

Van Rijn wants the injured Per Stenvik back at work as soon as possible. Per's ensign speaks truth to power:

"'Pardon, senor,' Manuel said - how softly and deferentially, and with what a clang of colliding stares. 'I would not gainsay my superiors.'" (p. 278)

He proceeds to gainsay van Rijn:

"'But my duty is to know how it is with my captain, and the doctors are fools. He shall rest not less than till the Day of the Dead; and then surely, with the Nativity so near, the senor will not deny him the holidays at home?'" (ibid.)

Van Rijn knows how to respond, not dictatorially but with dramatic, affected self-pity. Per grins and assures his employer that he is anxious to return to work. Van Rijn speaks - and also listens.

Superiors and inferiors have to know how to handle each other. For a beautiful exchange between a young naval officer and an experienced seaman in a Hornblower TV adaptation, see here.

In a work meeting, my boss responded to a question by saying, "Paul is dealing with that," although he should have known that I wasn't. I could not contradict him in the meeting although I would have taken it up with him privately if it had become an issue. There were times when a criticism was hurled at me and I could have passed the buck - which would have been a very unhelpful response. My job on those occasions was not to break ranks but to stand and take it.

I mentioned an overwhelming colleague here. I would have hated a job in which I was nominally the Number One and he was nominally the Number Two. It would have been fine the other way round. Just do everything his way...

Lastly, an acquaintance in Lancaster said of his ex-wife, who had never really worked for a living, "How she would have been in a job where she had to take orders, I do not know!" What he meant, of course, was that he did know.