Unplug and Cheers to the New Year

This coworker and I have co-dependent positions with shared responsibilities. When there is an event or a situation that is more stressful than usual, more often than not they call out. I'm left to answer to the boss on my own, or to navigate through a stressful day without my partner. How could I start a reasonable discussion about this without coming across as insensitive?

I have always been willing to make adjustments to ensure I keep my family well taken care of. However, this is a different job market. It is the job market we always knew was coming I am realizing I am not as well prepared for it as I thought I was. This market is going to require skills and knowledge. We have moved from the post pandemic job market which was "Open to all Employees" because the market was ramping up into the "Employer driven market" Show me what you got/What can you do to move the bottom line? Time to rewrite my resume. UGH!!!! Something I hate. Time to reassess my skills and ensure my resume says leader and dynamic. Time to let go of the past and grow so that I may move into the future. This job market is driven by AI technology and it is not changing. Resumes are rejected before they are looked at. We have to reassess who we are and how we get to the next level. This is an extremally tight market and it will take time. Take advantage of whatever you have to leverage your knowledge and skills.

I never thought it would be this difficult. I thought it may have been my resume so I had a few done professionally and still rejection email after rejection email. This is so discouraging. Wishing success to us all during these difficult times!

And, if I am not, how do I constructively talk to my boss? I work a union position as web content lead for a state agency. The position is newer and still has some fleshing out to do when it comes to the full scope, but my position description is pretty clear that I handle the management of our public facing sites and serve as advisor and journey mapper as we modernize those we have. My boss is from the private sector. This their first time managing and we are a team of four. There is a lot to unpack here but I will try to keep this lean. One their former bosses (who is a friend of mine and sometimes tries to help me navigate the situation) described my boss as "Ready, Fire, Aim!" which is accurate. They have a history of rushing into decisions (often that the team needs to fix), glazing over during any detailed information anyone gives and rushing us along, and generally charging ahead and then being demonstrably upset when they are stalled by the processes necessary when serving the public. They have (by their own and their bosses' admission) poor delegation skills and tend to micromanage and take other peoples work without telling them when stressed, which is often. They routinely have issues with one or more teammates who are a bit more set in their ways. This is the tip of the iceberg. They are not a bad person, and are good at some things. They are a terrific salesperson, excellent speaker, protective of their crew and flexible about personal matters. It's nice that they have a lot of vision and ambition, too. We need that! It's just that I and the team wish we had a bit more insight into where they were going before they go there. Recently we started wrapping up a major website revision project which I am kind of leading (I'm a collaborative sort and this is a very collaborative effort). They announced to me in an off hand manner during a 1x1 that they were moving ahead with several other major projects in my focus are and I was like, oh, this is the first I have heard of that. They seemed very nonchalant about this fact and kept right on talking, like oh, yah, I'm doing that and that and that. I let them know about some preliminary hurtles they would need to address and they were like, ok, thanks. I have to admit I am a bit insulted. I'm trying to keep it in perspective and think this is obviously in keeping with how they are on a regular basis. But it does affect my work. On the one hand, if they charge ahead and I am blindsided, I won't be able to contribute. On the other if they just take the work away I don't get the growth and experience and chances are very likely I will end up fixing the mistakes. Would I be stepping out of my boundaries to say hey, this is part of the scope of my job and I would like to understand your vision and timeline and be a part of this? And, if it comes to it, to explain that these things are in my job description? We are a union shop and it's generally not considered cool to duplicate duties. I'm just lost as to how to set my boundaries with this person without starting a war, or if I even should. Thanks for listening. :)

Take the time to reflect on your journey and don't be afraid to pivot when needed. Watch this video to learn how to optimize your potential: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1ZwZo0mMVY

Employers that tout "disability inclusion" should not just limit to physical disability. All disabilities are not visible. As someone with multiple sclerosis, please ensure that your "disability inclusion" actually includes those with mental disability, emotional disability and intellectual disability. "Disabled" does not equate to "incapable" or "unable". We are just looking for the chance to join the work force and continue our lives...Give us a shot...we don't bite and we won't disappoint.