Glad that you decided to find out the answer which is…It Depends! Some bosses are open and welcome constructive feedback while others are so full of ego and don’t encourage an open dialogue. I just returned from presenting several workshops at the US Chamber Institute in Madison WI. It was a real privilege speaking with men and women who work in chambers or associations throughout the USA.
One of the sessions I conducted was “Managing Upward.” I posed the following question to them…”What are some or your challenges with your boss or upper management?”
Here are some of their responses:
- The boss not being available
- There is no follow up on issues that require swift action
- Not dealing with conflict and letting things slide
- Meetings which waste our time
- No accountability with the team
- Not setting expectations and no one knows what they need to be doing
- Not having trust with my boss
Ouch! Is that enough? The list was a lot longer and you will find more scenarios in future posts.
What would you do if your boss gave you negative feedback in front of your team?
Would you…
- Stay silent?
- Say something that you wished you didn’t say?
- Get the respect that you deserved by being direct with respect?
This is always a tough situation because it depends on so many variables when communicating to upward management. Here is one option that we practiced in the session.
I don’t want to be disrespectful.
I do want to clear the air.
“I was caught off guard yesterday when I received negative comments in front of my colleagues because I would have appreciated the important feedback in a one to one meeting.”Let’s dissect this formula. I don’t want…I do want will make most communication safe. The group came up with some realistic answers for their own situations using this one strategy.
I am…when…because is the power talk formula that I have mentioned MANY times in my posts. This works like a charm. I was caught off guard is a statement that has NO judgment. It is how you feel. Try using this and let me know what results you receive.
What will you say to your boss if he or she gives you negative feedback in front of others?
Discover how your communications skills impact your success at work.
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A recognized expert on Resolving Conflict in the Workplace, Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP is an author, communication strategist, and a Certified Speaking Professional. To book Joyce to speak at your event or company call: 800.713.1926 or email: Joyce@JoyceWeiss.com
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Until next time,
This is Joyce Weiss, Communication Strategist
I help people become top level leaders who get GREAT results.
How do I do this?
I teach them to tackle the tough conversations with bullies and negative people to build employee engagement, accountability, and rock star performance…
The Result? My clients resolve their conflict and they get a better night’s sleep!
Feel free to call me (800.713.1926) concerning your own team/executive retreats, workshops, on line professional growth coaching, and keynote speeches.
Remember…You Get What YOU Tolerate!
See YOU Next Week.
PS Discover how your communication skills impact your success at work.
CLICK HERE to take the quiz.
Have you ever worked in an environment that seemed more like high school…with bullies, rolling eyes, gossip mongers, and mean kids? I help my clients turn their toxic environment around and help them feel comfortable during tough conversations. This post describes an email that I received from one of my loyal readers after he read several of the past posts on working with a jerk. I did not make this up! Names were changed to protect the innocent. 🙂
