I’m the Boss… Any Complaints!?

I’m a boss. I have been so for the past 2 years, ever since my father died and left his small accounting firm hanging without a decent replacement. As I was the only one who had the right profession and work background, I was unanimously voted to replace him (by my siblings). And so, along with being assigned the task to clean up his (small) estate, I also took over his accounting practice. That was 2 years, 2 months and 22 days. So far so good, or so, I thought.

This year has been one conflict after another, one problem after another, one disappointment after another. It’s no wonder that I’m turning more and more to writing in the online world (even to the point of telling my husband that I’m already thinking of giving up my real work and write for good!). My biggest peeve? Feeling less like a boss and more like a…banker?

Okay, what exactly am I doing as a boss? Let me just count the ways…

Put up policies, procedures, code of ethics, hire employees, assign employees to clients, assign employees to their functions, talk to the clients, talk to the tax people --- okay, everything seems to be normal here. No complaints there but you haven’t read the rest yet….Next duty.

Review my personnel’s work…check. Not all the time, man, they’re grown ups, responsible enough for their work. I just pop in and out to review their work, correct them if necessary and give instructions and that’s it. Sounds easier than it does. And if I fail to see their error? You can just bet I get the command responsibility to face the consequences of this error. Which brings me to my next duty…

Damage control…check. Okay, if my employees or I make any mistakes, guess who does damage control? Of course, me. Nobody else. Never mind that I did not review their work where they committed the mistake, I still address it. Never mind if my employee hid the fact of that error from me for a couple of months (and only told me a day or two before the whole thing blows up in our faces), I still have to address it. Never mind that the error was committed because I was told that I do not need to review their work because they had everything in control and I only discovered it after going through everything, I still have to correct it. Never mind that I wasn’t still around the firm when the error happened (and the client is asking why the error happened), I still have to address it. Just getting started on my rant here. Next please…

Budget, balance checkbook, collect and disburse…check. This one seems to be easy because the practice has to be able to pay for its expenses, right? Er, not all the time. There were really times when I didn’t know where to get the next payment or the money for the next salary because some of the clients are late in paying us. Fortunately, by some twist of fate (and a little help from Up There), we always seem to manage. That is, until I encounter the next problem (er, duty).

Help out my employees in their personal (money) problems…check. Wait a minute! What the….? Take care of their money problems?!?!?!?!?! No kidding. It’s like I’m a money tree. The minute I get my clients’ payments, there seems to be an employee knocking at my door asking to borrow some money. Sometimes two people are knocking on my door! And here’s the crux of my problem. I know, I know. They don’t have any choice. Life is harsh and they have only me to help them. But my goodness, it seems that I’m the only one who sacrifices for some things in life because I have to give them the money I can use to buy these things. Okay, I can still collect through salary deductions (thank goodness, I am handling that) but by the time I finish deducting from them several months after, the opportunity to use the money one time is already gone.

I have this one employee who wanted to borrow for her children’s tuition fees. I just asked for the school assessment to see the actual amount of the fees (but I was going to lend her the money, honest), she took it as an insult and threw a tantrum! She thought I mistrusted her (actually I did as she’s a chronic borrower) and that it’s an insult to her (like I care?). In the end, she chose not to borrow from me after all. That was after she blamed another one of my people for giving me the idea on asking for the assessment, which is so not true. Hello? I have a brain here, I can think for myself, thank you very much! Problem is, she thinks I’m still the same young girl she used to know when she started out working for my father. She also thinks that she’s a gem for this practice; that I will not replace her and that if I do, the clients will leave us. Hmmmm, wanna bet? But then again, I don’t think she wants to dare me to fire her. I mean, who else will lend money to her in the future, interest-free at that?

Okay, as ralwus once said, I’m feeling better now. Just need to let off steam (I think this is my 3^rd or is it my 4^th ‘ranting’ hub) for a bit. Will go back to formal hubbing tomorrow or day after tomorrow. Until then, see yah!