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Boss asking for daily task list - unreasonable? counter productive?

I am an IT guy in the hospitality industry. I currently am supervised by the Director of Sales who has a very limited knowledge of IT and computers in general. As of last week, my boss is asking me for a daily task list of what I do throughout the day. Although I understand time management and manage my time very well - I'm not sure why she would want a daily list of what I'm doing as long as the computers and systems are up and running and my projects are being completed. The projects that I'm completing (for the better of the facility) are things that she doesn't even understand, such as server security and monitoring and other tech related issues that arise on a daily basis. Is this an unreasonable request? I feel like I'm being targeted by her and over-monitored for no reason. Not to mention that writing down everything you do in a day is counter-productive especially when you have to stop what you're doing and write down that you're doing it - each and every time I change task. This not only eats up valuable time to complete the projects, but also interrupts the thinking process of getting stuff done. How do I bring this up to her if it is counter productive like I believe it to be? It's almost like I'm being targeted as NO ONE else on property is required to do this. Is this considered a form of harassment? Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Public Comments

  1. Sounds like she is trying to better understand your job duties. No, that is not unreasonable. If I suervised an employee whos duties were unfamiliar to me, I would want to become more familiar.
  2. I say yes, and no! I suggest using a program like Microsoft Outlook to do this! Do this electronically. In their task program! Also keep a copy for yourself on a Flash Disk! Take this request with a Grain of Salt. Keep the list Short but detailed. For instance Name the Task Ex: Cronos Project at 10am. Then Continue with all the remaining tasks, notate lunches etc. Breaks, Away from Desk and all. This could work to your advantage believe me. This is great for documentation purposes! I currently do this in my postion, it gives my job a sense of direction and purpose. If my boss says hey there was a incident that happened on this date I will have a reference to better explain the happenings of that day putting my postion at a advantage. What is interesting is that she may be practicing some sort of discrimination, that in the end serves to place you in a better postion.
  3. Must be another one of those control freak managers. Managers who often display this kind of behavior are people who feels inferior and needs control. They want to know what you are doing so if they are in a meeting they can ramble on about their knowledge to sure there existent in an organization. Unfortunate for you, just do as she says and move on. Sometime people are like that, they feel intimidate by smarter people.
  4. Not a totally unreasonable request, as a boss has a right to know where an employee is using his or her time. But it is also a sign that you are being monitored and perhaps targeted for dismissal. So keep a generalized list of your tasks, and if she starts to ask for more detail, then you can probably also start looking for a job, because they are just looking for a reason to fire you.
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