At Work by Lindsey Novak

Q: My husband worked for a mattress company owned by an elderly couple who decided to sell the company. My husband wanted to buy the company and was able to raise enough money to do so. The general manager of the company did not like my husband and wanted to buy it when he discovered my husband wanted it. He never liked my husband because he was not as good at being a salesman as my husband. As the owner and my husband were putting together the sale's terms, the owner found a clause in the GM's contract that stated that if the owner sold the company, he would have to offer it to the general manager first. As the sale between the owner and the general manager was being put together, a tropical storm hit, and we were unable to leave our house. My husband called the owner and told him he couldn't come in that day and was told that was fine. The next day, my husband went to work, and the GM fired him for not coming to work. He always had been looking for a reason to fire my husband. My husband then applied for unemployment compensation and was denied it because the GM fought it. The GM was not even the owner at that time.

A: Your husband should have talked to the owner the day he was fired so the owner could have discussed the situation with the general manager. Never file any type of claim with a state or federal agency before first trying to work it out with the company. A lack of open communication causes most problems. In fact, before the sale came into the picture, your husband should have asked the GM to discuss the issues that bothered him.

Even though the sale was not final, the GM likely had the right to fire your husband with the owner's approval. This was obviously not a smart business decision because your husband was a better salesman than the GM, but people often make bad business decisions when they are based solely on emotions.

Your husband still should ask for a three-way meeting with the GM and the former owner to resolve the bad feelings, even if it does not resolve the unemployment issue.

Rejection Begets Rejection

Q: My husband was offered a job too good to refuse, so we relocated to another state for him to take it. Prior to that, I was an executive assistant for two deans at a large high school for eight years. I have excellent qualifications and a solid work history. Since moving, I have had 12 interviews but am still jobless. My children are grown, so I literally am sitting and waiting for the phone to ring.

A: With 12 interviews under your belt, your résumé is not the problem; review your interview behavior to analyze what is. Ask yourself whether you are intimidating the interviewers by showing too much confidence or coming across as inflexible or controlling because of your eight years in a high-level job. Only you know what happened in those interviews.

The most useful (five-star) book on communicating is "Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone," in which Mark Goulston uses hostage negotiation training skills for the FBI and police to teach people how to communicate intelligently and sensitively to achieve positive results. Showing interest, listening with empathy and making others feel valued are just the beginning. Everyone can be a better communicator with the right knowledge, and this book makes learning interesting and easy.

Please send your questions to: Lindsey Novak, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. E-mail her at LindseyNovak@yahoo.com, or visit her Web site at www.LindseyNovak.com. She answers all e-mails. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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