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Newsletters Communication

I write the company newsletter, and my boss just blasted me for failing to put in pictures and write-ups about new hires. She never said she wanted this, and my predecessor never did it. I'm annoyed that all of a sudden this is a big deal and I'm in trouble for something I didn't know about. What do you suggest I do?



Load up the digital camera and write mini-biographies of the new hires. One could argue that you should have been doing this all along. After all, it is a newsletter, and new hires are news. However, it could just as easily be argued that such information has not traditionally been included in the newsletter, and if people really wanted it, you would have already been so informed, and not by a blast from your boss.

If your boss wanted this type of information in the newsletter, all she had to do was let you know, rather than relying on management by osmosis. The fact that she was so incensed indicates that there may be other underlying issues at play here.

Take a look at your performance and try to see if there are other areas in which your manager might be less than satisfied. Either way, you should meet with her, let her know you will be including new hires in the next newsletter, give her an update on your progress on the rest of your work, and then ask her if she has other suggestions. You might hear some news of real importance, and not for the newsletter.





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