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Control Freaks Power Plays and Players Travel Bizarre Behaviors Condescending Treatment

I travel about half of the time, and my manager occasionally accompanies me. When he does, he expects me to carry some of his bags. I have my belongings plus samples, and I do not appreciate having to carry his things too. How can I put a stop to this without upsetting him?

If your manager is the kind of person who gets upset when asked to carry his own bags, he literally and figuratively has a huge amount of baggage. It is ridiculous for you to be automatically expected to carry his things unless he is physically unable to do so. Since that does not appear to be the case, it is time for you to stop enabling this behavior. The next time he expects you to be his bag man, tell him you are sorry but you are fully loaded with your bags and samples. Be sure to turn to him so that he can see as well as hear what you are saying. Since you are reluctant to reject your manager, this is a way to express "no," without having to actually say it. The larger issue is your manager's self-centerd expectation that you are supposed to wait on him. He does not sound like a manager who understands the importance of teamwork, equitable treatment, and leading by example. Although there will still be times when you should give him a hand with his things, you need to set some ground rules before he runs you into the ground.


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