Dear Rachel,
This may seem petty, and I guess it is. Maybe I should know better, but my immediate boss is always making promises that he never delivers on. It's a raise that never seems to arrive, or a promotion that doesn't comes through. It's annoying, for sure, but it's more than that. I don't really know where I stand in this agency. I know part of the problem is that he needs to feel important, so he says these things to me. How do I deal with him?-- Lied to

Dear Lied,
Get it in writing.

Anytime he makes a promise, ask him to put it in the form of an email.

Don't be shy. Insist.

Remind him of all the promises he's made in the past that never came through.

This will have one immediate effect. He'll cut back on some of the empty blather he spins your way.

The only time he will put anything in writing is if in fact it's true and he's prepared to stand behind it--unless he's really goofy.

You also want to start figuring out how to get moved away from this man.

These characters tend to float around the lower levels of management and at some point they get shoved out. But they are a pain to deal with and cannot be changed.

What you don't want to do is tangle with him any more than you have to. Don't go over his head to complain. His bosses surely already know how he operates. 

The important thing to remember is keeping your eye on your goals and looking at this as simply as one challenge in getting to where you want to be.

In media, as in all areas of business, there are always turkeys you have to deal with. People who rise quickly tend to be fairly good at spotting turkeys and heading the other way.

You should follow their example.