Question: I'm vice president of operations at a midsize organization and am being groomed to become president. My boss, who is expected to retire in a few years, and I have worked here for almost our entire careers, and I consider him a friend. However, over the past several years, he's done virtually nothing to earn the enormous salary he receives. He travels ostensibly on company business, but does nothing to further the company's goals and racks up outrageous expenses. He was assigned to open a new store, but at every turn drags his feet, makes excuses and asks me to pick up the pieces. I'm afraid that if I don't, it will reflect badly on me, so in addition to my work, I do his. I feel tremendous resentment toward him and am exhausted from my 80-plus hour week. What should I do?

Phil: It's not your job to do your boss's job -- you already have one. Friend or no, his behavior is unacceptable and shouldn't be tolerated. He's taking advantage of the company and you. No matter your reason for letting him get away with this behavior in the past, you must stop immediately. When the time comes for accountability to the board, he'll be the one who'll look bad, not you.

Next time he approaches you to do his work, say, "I'm sorry, but I'm overwhelmed with work today and won't be able to help. You'll need to handle it yourself." The next time he comes back, say the same thing. Say it over and over until he gets the message that you won't do his job any longer. He'll then either have to do the work himself or find another patsy. Either way, you break this destructive loop.

If you're being groomed for the president's job, we bet the board will look more favorably on you if you stand up for what's right and put a stop to this situation. Don't think that it isn't aware that you're bailing out your boss. Instead of being held hostage to him, secure the respect of the board by taking firm action. Even if the board can't or won't stop him because of his long tenure, it will appreciate your action. If he stays a few more years and continues to draw a large salary, at least make him earn it.

Question: I'm a survivor in a bank. Some 15% of our taskforce has been let go. I feel somehow guilty. Is this a normal feeling?

Pierre: It's common for the survivors of a downsizing or layoff to say they feel guilt. However, we think it's empathy, not guilt. It's also common for people to feel relief for having been kept on board. Both feelings are normal for most people. What isn't normal is to pretend as if everything is fine and nothing has changed. It will be important for you to talk about this "elephant sitting in the middle of the room" with a few trusted colleagues. Talking about it will help you resolve your emotions and understand that you're not alone. If these feelings are left to fester inside of you, they can be detrimental in the long run.

Secondly, we think you'd be wise to find out why your colleagues were let go. Were they the last hired or in a position to take early retirement? Or was some other standard used to determine who'd go and who'd stay? Also, use your network to discover if more cuts are down the road. You can't prepare for something you don't see coming, so make sure you have a backup plan in case a next round includes you.

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