How do I deal with my disorganised and forgetful boss?

Q. My boss sometimes gets overwhelmed and forgets to inform me about the assignments that she needs done until the very last minute when the assignments have started to look like an emergency.

This means that I do not get enough time to prepare and carry them out as best as I would have had I had the information in good time.

This makes me feel harassed. Also, she sometimes gives me assignments without checking what I have planned, the result is that I have had to cancel my scheduled appointments.

How do I go about this situation?

It is not easy to work under a disorganised supervisor, so it is important from the onset to understand what is triggering such a laissez faire style. You say that she gets overwhelmed, but perhaps this is triggered by a deeper culture in the organisation where the pressure could be emanating from higher up the chain. If this is the case, there is a deeper cultural problem that needs wholesome review. But still, there are ways you can manage your difficult situation to ensure your productivity is not found wanting.

Talk to your boss and give specific examples of how her forgetfulness is affecting your work and overall performance of the department. You could prepare a work plan with suitable timelines that can be used within the department, this way, she will have a structured way to discuss and delegate key tasks ahead of deadlines.

Perhaps your boss genuinely lacks planning and organising skills and someone stronger in such skills would be good support in this situation. Many organisations have formal ways of setting business priorities and key deliverables way in advance to drive execution of overall strategy.

You could use tools and templates available to refocus your boss on a better work plan and avoid a situation where your plans get sidelined. If your suggestions are ignored, perhaps you could seek support from the HR office to have the issue addressed.

A good 360 review could point the management towards the right support for your boss. If all interventions fail, you will have to look at the issue from a different perspective.

Perhaps there is a deliberate effort to frustrate your work for selfish reasons. You will need to understand what the real threat is and work around it or start looking for a new boss.