23 Oct Speak up! Giving Feedback to your Boss
Giving feedback, criticism, or even suggestions can be difficult for many, but they are so important that many courses and articles are out there to offer help. Supervisors and managers can easily find assistance in using these critical elements of employee management.
But what about the employee?! What about ‘boss management’? Time and again in communication courses individuals ask for help having critical conversations in situations where they are in the power down position.
No-one wants to be seen as aggressive or uncooperative, but many people don’t know how to say what they want without sounding wrong, so they don’t say anything. Silence in the face of discomfort can be toxic, however, and often leads to resentment. Resentment can sometimes become resistance, and can lead to acting out in other ways.
Most people would agree that open communication is a really good thing, and don’t we all want to do it! But for those who worry about the reactions of others, especially if those others have control over our jobs, the key question is: “But how do I do it without getting in trouble?”
Many factors need consideration: personality, needs, and interests of the other person, time and place of the discussion, emotional investment of everybody in the picture, the weight of the topic. But most important is the communication skill of the speaker. Having these skills will enable the formulation of strategies for navigating the most difficult conversation.
Our new course, Helping Your Boss Give Feedback, turns the focus to those who feel powerless or otherwise disadvantaged. And haven’t we all found ourselves in that place at one time or another!
Learn more about how our courses could improve your operations — www.languageatwork.com. If it’s easier, call us directly at 202-298-7700.