Dealing with uncommunicative boss

DO you have a boss that doesn't communicate with you - doesn't provide the information you need to do your job, doesn't listen and appears unable to help progress your career.

YES? Well, what can you do?

First, ask for what you need, and also think of alternative ways to proceed if the boss doesn't come through.Not all people with manager titles are good at managing people. Organisations often promote people with strong technical skills but do not teach them how to lead.This leaves the worker having to take the lead, to push for the support they need.And, that may, or may not, be successful.If this applies to your workplace, then, to start, reflect on the situation, focus on your breath to help you let go of disappointment so that you can look objectively at the factors at play.What is your vision for your relationship with your manager? How often would you interact and what would those interactions include? People have a variety of levels of need. They are not right or wrong, but be sure that you are clear on what you'd like. Think in terms of day-to-day direction as well as higher-level career development aspects. If you're having trouble imagining this, think back on experiences with past managers, good or bad, to define your ideal.Now, consider your current manager, and detail your concerns. What behaviours cause you to feel unheard? For example, do you hear keyboard clicks if you're on the phone or does he fiddle with his smartphone during meetings? Or is it subtler than that?If you want the situation to improve, you'll need to discuss this with your manager. Preparation will be key, and you probably don't want to spring it on him without warning. For example, consider setting up a meeting to touch base on your new working relationship.In planning for the meeting, develop one or two key messages that you want to convey. If there are positive aspects, be ready to mention those. If there are specific behaviours that you find challenging, highlight those, using "I" messages: "When I hear you typing when we talk, I feel disappointed because it seems like you're not really paying attention to our conversation."There may also be needs you can bring up; for example, "I'd like to set up some structured career-development discussion time" so that he knows it's important to you.These conversations may not yield the results you hope for, so develop a Plan B. It's always a good idea to have mentors, so look around your organisation or broader network to identify people who could provide extra support.If, after all your efforts, the relationship is unsustainable, consider other, more extreme, options. You could talk to your boss' boss for ideas on making it work. Or you could look for a new job, recognising that you may not actually end up with a better outcome.

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Vic drug dealers stripped of all assets

SERIOUS drug offenders face losing almost everything they own as well as copping a hefty jail term in Victoria.

PEOPLE convicted of trafficking or cultivating large volumes of drugs will be stripped of all assets save for basic household goods, tools and a modestly priced car under new forfeiture laws.

The changes come on top of an increase in the average jail term offenders face, which will be lifted to 14 years under sentencing legislation also before parliament.Premier Denis Napthine says drug dealers peddle death and misery and need to be hit hard."Large-scale drug offenders will do significant jail time and they will forfeit almost everything they own," Dr Napthine said.The changes, which will come before parliament this week, mean there will be no need to prove the offender's property came from the proceeds of crime."This will send a very strong message to criminals in Victoria," he said.The laws will apply to offenders' assets whether they are lawfully obtained or not.Offenders will not be able to sell off their assets.Once they are charged, orders restricting the sale of their property will be put in place until the outcome of their trial, or the charges are dropped."Not only will they go to jail, they will lose almost everything they own," Attorney-General Robert Clark said."Any financial gain drug traffickers may have stood to gain will be wiped out."Mr Clark says the new laws will also give police greater ability to disrupt gangs.Police will be given stronger powers to ban criminal bikie gangs, restrict their activities and strip members of their firearms.The laws will also stop gang members escaping the law by quitting one gang and joining another.Families of drug dealers will be able to apply for limited funding to seek accommodation, Mr Clark said.Basic household items like clothing will not be included.Labor says it is looking carefully at the legislation.

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Jobs could go, Qld health minister says

Queensland's health minister concedes jobs could be lost as local health boards take over staffing. Source: AAP

QUEENSLAND'S health minister has conceded jobs could be lost as local health boards gain control of staffing from a centralised bureaucracy.

FROM July 1, eight of the state's 16 regional Hospital and Health Services (HHS) boards will take control of staffing from Queensland Health.

The other eight HHS boards will gain staffing control in July 2015.Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said the transfer of staffing power from Queensland Health to local health and hospital boards could lead to job losses in the department."That's the simple reality. I think everyone understands those sorts of things," he told ABC Radio on Monday."As you put more of the focus into efficient management at a local level, there's ultimately going to be transfer of some of those resources as well, and positions may not ultimately be needed."The government established the HHS boards in July 2012 in a bid to decentralise the health bureaucracy.From July, three HHS boards take ownership of land and buildings.Another six boards will own these assets in December, with the remaining seven HHS boards taking control of infrastructure from July 2015.Opposition health spokeswoman Jo-Ann Miller said Mr Springborg was shirking his portfolio responsibilities by offloading them to health boards."Make no mistake, the Newman government is trying to dodge responsibility for cuts to the health service, responsibility for its management and the possible future sale of assets," she said."We see a health minister who is running scared from the health portfolio and becoming the minister for buck passing."The state's public sector union estimates thousands more jobs could go in health."All that will change is how the government defines the jobs it cuts - not that jobs will be cut," Together Union secretary Alex Scott said."They cut jobs in health and then redefine them to say they weren't frontline services."

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Jodhi Meares charged with DUI

Jodhi Meares is heading to court after allegedly being caught drink driving in Sydney's east. Source: AAP

JAMES Packer's ex-wife Jodhi Meares will face court in August on drink driving charges after crashing into three parked cars in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

THE 43-year-old had to be rescued from her Range Rover, which rolled after the smash in upmarket Bellevue Hill on Saturday night.

The fashion designer, who is engaged to rocker Jon Stevens, was given a roadside breath test before being taken to the local police station.Police say she recorded a 0.181 blood alcohol reading, almost four times the legal limit.She was charged with drink driving and driving while suspended and is due to appear at Waverley Local Court on August 5.It's reported Meares could face the possibility of 18 months in jail and a fine of $3300.After a long engagement, Meares and Stevens were reportedly planning to tie the knot in September.

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NSW teenager survives 80m cliff fall

A TEENAGER'S survival from an 80-metre cliff plunge in NSW's Hunter Valley is "mind-boggling".

THE 17-year-old and a group of friends were trying to get into a dance party in Watagan State Forest, 20 kilometres west of Lake Macquarie, on Saturday night when he fell down the sheer rock face about 10.30pm on Saturday.

Emergency services and local volunteers abseiled down the cliff about 4am and spent the rest of the night with the injured teenager.He was winched to safety about 10.30am and flown to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital with broken bones and suspected internal injuries and is in a serious but stable condition."I don't know how he has survived, and the doctors and the paramedics are saying the same thing," said a spokesman for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.Acting Superintendent Murray Lundberg said the teenager's survival was "mind boggling"."I haven't got words to describe his fortunate luck," he said.He said the teenager and his mates were camping in the forest when they came across the dance party and were denied entry.The youth apparently thought he could get into the function from around the back, through the bush, with no lights and no knowledge of the terrain, "and he's just fallen off the side of a cliff".A number of trees had to be chopped down before the teen could be winched aboard the helicopter.It's understood the boy was trying to get into Solstium Shadows - A Winter Solstice Bush Gathering.The two-day rave was being held at a site off Rope Road, in the heart of the forest.

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Qld ministers meeting in Palmer's seat

QUEENSLAND cabinet ministers are meeting in Clive Palmer's Sunshine Coast electorate only days after the mining magnate confirmed he would be suing the deputy premier.

MINISTERS and department heads are holding a community forum, with approved participants, at Maroochydore on Sunday afternoon followed by a cabinet meeting in the same beachside suburb on Monday, at the Mike Ahern Centre.

Maroochydore is within Mr Palmer's federal electorate of Fairfax.The cabinet meeting would also be held just three days after Mr Palmer lodged a defamation writ against Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney in the Supreme Court.Mr Palmer is suing Mr Seeney for defamation over an ABC television interview where he alleged the mining tycoon sought special favours for his Waratah Coal interests in the Galilee Basin in 2012.The federal MP is also suing Premier Campbell Newman for defamation after the premier claimed that he tried to "buy" the Queensland government.A spokesman for Mr Newman denied there was any symbolism with a community cabinet being held in Mr Palmer's seat."No symbolism there," he told AAP, adding community cabinets had been held across regional Queensland in Bowen, Cooktown and Townsville."Don't read too much into it."Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the premier had not held a media conference during the past week, which included the governor's approval of controversial chief justice pick Tim Carmody."The premier has been in hiding now for over a week, afraid to front the music, afraid to talk to people in this state," she told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday.The premier held his first news conference in five days on Sunday on the Sunshine Coast.He hadn't faced reporters since a Mount Isa event on Tuesday.

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Policeman charged with domestic violence

A NSW police officer has been stood down after being charged with a domestic violence offence. Source: AAP

A NSW police officer has been stood down after being charged with a domestic violence offence.

THE male sergeant, attached to a corporate services command, was involved in an incident while off duty on Friday night, police say.

He's been charged with stalking or intimidating intending to cause fear or physical harm.He's due to appear in Burwood Local Court on June 27.No one was injured during the incident.

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GM could face another fine

AN old email from a General Motors employee warning of a "serious safety problem" could help trigger another government fine against the automaker.

THE email, dated August 30, 2005, surfaced Wednesday during a House subcommittee hearing on GM's delayed recall of 2.6 million small cars with ignition switch problem. This email outlined a similar issue with a larger car.

Employee Laura Andres wrote that she was driving a 2006 Chevrolet Impala home from work when she hit a bump and the engine stalled on a busy road near Detroit. The car behind her had to swerve to avoid a crash. A GM mechanic told her the cause was likely a faulty ignition switch."I think this is a serious safety problem ... I'm thinking big recall," Andres wrote in an email to 11 GM colleagues.Yet it wasn't until Monday that GM recalled the Impalas, Buick LaCrosses and other models with the same switch, almost nine years after Andres' email. Safety regulators received dozens of similar complaints about the cars during that time.GM said that excess weight on a keychain could cause the ignition switch to move out of the "run" position if the car is jarred, like when it hits a pothole. The engine stalls, and the drivers loses power steering and power brakes.Under federal law, automakers must notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within five business days of determining a safety defect exists. A maximum $35 million fine is possible if the agency finds an automaker took too long to report a problem.GM paid a $35 million fine last month for its 11-year delay in reporting defective ignition switches in the Chevrolet Cobalt and other small cars.Multiple fines are not without precedent. From 2010 through 2012, NHTSA fined Toyota Motor Corp. four times for a total of $66 million due to safety-related violations.GM wouldn't comment Thursday on the possibility of another fine. NHTSA also wouldn't comment on the Impala case, but said it reviews all recalls to make sure they comply with the notification law and it takes "appropriate action" when it finds problems.Andres's e-mail alone isn't enough to trigger the five-day rule, because it only suggests the ignitions are unsafe. But it's proof that some GM employees knew about a potential problem for almost a decade. GM has not yet submitted a required timeline to NHTSA that will say when it officially determined the Impala switches were defective.Andres, who still works for GM in design and engineering, could not be reached for comment. But in her 2005 email, she urged engineers to build a "stronger" switch.Andres' warning was brushed off by GM engineer Ray DeGiorgio, who replied that he had recently driven a 2006 Impala and "did not experience this condition." He also noted that the Impala had "a completely different column/ignition switch" than the one that was causing problems in GM's small cars.DeGiorgio is a central figure in the small-car recall saga. GM says he approved using the switches even though they failed to meet company specifications, and then took actions that hid the defect for years.Andres's email wasn't the only indication of problems. NHTSA's Web site lists more than 100 complaints about stalling for 2006-2009 Impalas alone. Those are complaints GM would have had access to.In one 2012 complaint, an Impala stalled in the middle of a large intersection. The owner took it to a dealer four times but couldn't get it repaired."I'm fearful I will be the one causing a fatal pile-up," the driver wrote.

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Mantra shares hit the ASX

SHARES in Australia's second largest hotel and resort operator have fallen since it listed on the Australian Securities Exchange on Friday.

MANTRA Group shares began trading on the Australian share market at $1.80 each at 1200 AEST, valuing the company at $449 million.

By 1400 AEST, its share price was down by seven cents, or 3.9 per cent, to $1.73.Lonsec senior client adviser Michael Heffernan says he's not expecting a rush of buyers for Mantra in light of a dip in consumer confidence linked to the May federal budget which signalled spending cuts and new taxes."Hotels are still in the consumer spending area and are susceptible to falls in consumer confidence," he said.Mantra chief executive Bob East said the reception from investors was positive."Our new shareholders include a strong representation of blue-chip Australian investment institutions and we are looking forward to welcoming many retail investors into ownership of the company," he said.The company operates 113 hotels, resorts and serviced apartments across Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia, catering for about two million guests a year.Its network includes the Peppers and BreakFree chain of hotels and resorts.Mantra has sold slightly more than half of its shares to the public in a bid to reduce its debt.It made a profit of $24.6 million in 2012/13, and expects that to grow to $27.4 million in the current financial year.Mantra says it has a good quality portfolio of properties in a strong sector of the Australian economy, although it does acknowledge it is exposed to downturns in economic conditions, such as weak consumer confidence and fluctuating exchange rates.Confidence has been hampered by spending cuts announced in May's federal budget, with travel group Flight Centre recently warning its profit could be hit by a fall in holiday bookings since mid-April.Mr East has 20 years experience in tourism, and has led the company since 2007, while chairman Peter Bush is a former chairman of McDonald's Australia and Nine Entertainment.

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Vic building workers face drug tests

BUILDING workers on Victorian government projects will face random drug and alcohol testing from July 1.

VICTORIAN Finance Minister Robert Clark said requiring all building companies that tender for taxpayer-funded projects worth $10 million or more to test workers for drug and alcohol use among measures he said would cut substance abuse, intoxication and drug dealing on building sites.

Head contractors must perform a minimum number of random tests on workers each month and identify what methods they will use, Mr Clark said on Friday.Contractors will determine the level of intoxication they deem unsafe and how workers will be sanctioned if drugs or alcohol are detected in their systems, he said.Tenderers will have to list site security measures, which may include CCTV, a swipe card access system and photographic or biometric security systems in a bid to stamp out criminal activity."We believe this will save taxpayers' money and it will help ensure law-abiding workplaces," Mr Clark said."We are introducing these guidelines to ensure that every contractor that tenders for Victorian government construction projects needs to commit to have processes in place to guard against drug and alcohol abuse in their workplaces and also to ensure site security."When the guidelines were first announced, Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) Victorian secretary John Setka said the guidelines would unfairly single out construction workers."There is no epidemic of drug taking on construction sites," he said.

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