I remember learning the word boss at a fairly young age (it actually sounds the same in Russian). It was someone my dad argued with, my mum got upset by, while my granny kept insisting that hers shouldn’t have got the job in the first place. Having worked professionally for a while now, I can declare that I’ve been lucky with bosses. Our managers are people who used to do the same job we do. They understand the difficulties and encourage openness and collaboration. Still, they do, at times, force their point of view. With explanations, of course. They oversee the projects and sometimes they have to call the shots. But if I believe my manager is wrong, I go and talk to him. No problem there. The situation I’m trying to describe in the Snowflake is the opposite. There are certain jobs that require more responsibility on the manager’s part, the jobs that carry higher penalties for failure. In a job like that, a boss might be stricter, have a more totalitarian point of view. Now, if your boss was like that and he/she happened to firmly believe something that you felt was wrong, what would you do? And what if you already tried to point out the mistake and he/she refused to listen, refused to even consider it? How would you go about it?
Have you ever faced a situation like this?
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Have I faced a situation like this?! I’m constantly having trouble with my bosses being too pigheaded to listen to their directs. I changed jobs twice already because my manager couldn’t take a little criticism. I didn’t get a sack, but the work environment got so hostile I just had to go. Guess it’s a bit like father-son thing. Your dad thinks you don’t have a clue about anything, while you self-righteously blame everything on your dad.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think there’s a problem here. If you’re a competent worker and do your job well, your feedback will be well received by your manager. I am a manager myself and I always listen to everything my subordinates have to say.
ReplyDeleteThe worker-employer problem existed since time began and will continue to exist in future. This doesn’t mean there’s no solution. There’s always one. It depends on each individual case. Your criticism can be badly accepted if you are not tactful enough in its delivery. Make sure not to criticise your boss behind her back or (just as bad) in front of everyone in your office. Book a meeting and discuss your concerns in a private 1-2-1 session. Don’t get personal, don’t start a shouting match. Explain that it’s success of your company/organisation that you’re ultimately worried about. If your boss continues to behave unreasonably, then she might not be up to the job. Talk to her boss.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think there’s a single recipe that works. However, sometimes all you have is two options: 1) you’re lucky, you have a good boss and you enjoy doing your job, or 2) you’re unlucky, your boss is a pest and you need to go looking for a new job and a new boss. In the former case, you might be successful pointing out your boss’s mistakes. In the former, you’ve no chance.
ReplyDeleteI disagree that the situation is as black and white as Polyglot described. There are always shades of grey. I think if you see a mistake on your manager’s part, you should always point it out. But before you do, make sure you are not mistaken yourself. Oh, and do come up with alternatives. No point saying this is not right and that would never work unless you present a number of possible solutions.
ReplyDeleteNo one is perfect. That’s why pencils have erasers. But only a wise boss can erase his own error in front of his subordinates.
ReplyDeleteAsking your boss what he thinks about employees who like to point out his mistakes is like asking a lamppost how it feels about dogs.
ReplyDeleteNever criticise your boss until you got a new job lined up.
ReplyDeleteIf you decided to point out your boss’s mistakes be ready for him to point to the door.
ReplyDeleteI never have the good boss. I think because all of them were women… they can be very severe.
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