Express criticism of the boss - that's how it works
Boss, we have to talk!
"That must go now!", I decided a few years ago. I had a new boss who did everything differently than his predecessor. It did not suit me and a few colleagues at all. But while the others complained only behind the locked office door, I gathered my courage, knocked on the glass door of the executive office, asked "Do you have time?" and started, "Do you know, I feel bad when ...", "The one situation you said that was difficult for me, because ...", "I can not work well, if .. . "
Finally I was able to get rid of what had accumulated in me. And my boss, it seemed to me, listened attentively! At the end, he said "Thank you," and I eased back to my desk. The next day, however, I learned about the highway radio that he had complained about me. His behavior towards me was also noticeably cold: he did not greet me and turned quickly to the next corridor when we met in the hallway. In the meantime, it is clear to me: that was no wonder. No boss, no boss is particularly keen to be downed by their own employees. Six out of ten supervisors shy away from the verdict of their employees, the consulting firm Rochus Mummert has determined in a 2013 study.
For criticism you rarely get a 'thank you', but in the long run you get recognition and a profile
But that should not mean that you always have to shut up, emphasizes Regine Heiland, longtime coach and executive coach. When she once again has a client in front of him complaining about his supervisor, she first asks, "Does your boss have any chance of knowing your anger? If not, you should not blame him." After all, employees who do not swallow every single order from the top without being contradicted are also worth gold for companies. Some of the more offbeat Samsung employees, for example, would have been able to prevent the serial exploding of mobile phone batteries by the company a few years ago, economists are convinced. But the engineers simply did not dare to tell the superiors of their highly hierarchical corporation that the tight schedule could not be met.
To criticize bosses does not have to hurt your career. On the contrary - it can even advance one's job. Who stimulates executives to ponder, says the psychologist and organizational consultant Bettina Tausendfreund, who finally think with. "For criticism of the boss, you rarely get a" thank you. "But in the long run, you deserve in the job so recognition and a profile."
You should look at both sides
But it depends on the "how" of the criticism. The best way to bring your concerns in a private conversation, so in dialogue, advises Regine Heiland. "Not in writing, there is always a risk of misunderstanding things." It was tricky to criticize superiors in the presence of others. An executive who receives negative feedback in a meeting in front of a gathered team often fears losing authority. And to be responsible for such a perceived defeat could later take revenge. Sometimes even in court, as the case of that employee shows, where the anger on the boss so exuberant that he wrote an email to the entire workforce. The supervisor would "squeeze the workers" like lemons, older, sick and "worn" employees would be played off against each other. Such a tirade did not have to be tolerated by an executive, decided in May 2018 the Federal Constitutional Court, after the Federal Labor Court and the State Labor Court of Baden-Württemberg had previously given the employee right. The boss may terminate the man, freedom of speech or not.
Basically, says Savior, you should ask the other person if feedback is welcome. The job also says: The supervisor does not necessarily have to ask the employee if she wants feedback, but the employee already wants the supervisor. In this respect, one should first of all feel with his manager: "I have something on my mind, but I do not know if that interests you." Or: "The meeting is not going out of my head today, would you like to hear my opinion?" The boss can and may still say no. After all, she can have good reasons for that. Maybe there is a lot to do right now. Or she is not feeling well that day. "One should therefore not resign after a negative reaction," says Savior. "Give yourself and your supervisor a second chance, such as: 'If you want to listen to me, I'm here !?"
What was going on in my boss when I stormed his office, I did not know then.Was he injured? Did he have to listen to criticism from his own supervisor that day? Inquire would have made the conversation certainly much more pleasant.
It is important to find the right words
After all, as someone who deals professionally with the topic of communication, I paid attention to my choice of words: I instead of you messages, as in a good quarrel, according to the formula "What have I observed that concerns me in my work, and how does that affect me? " From "they never stick to our agreements" is then in the best case "I remembered our agreement differently Did I misunderstand this?" When communicating with superiors, it's all about not fooling the other, says Regine Heiland. Even if one or the other would do that from time to time. Just as important as the right choice of words is therefore to have the gestures and facial expressions of the other in view and to address what happens: The boss gets angry? "I feel like what I am saying annoys you, was not that okay?" Or in my case: "You do not say anything, how do you see that, and am I allowed to speak so openly?" Psychologist Bettina Tausendfreund also recommends that you do not immediately fall into the house with everything that bothers you, but to practice the criticism in small doses. "When I realize someone is holding out well and does not blame my comments, next time I'll be able to make clearer and more extensive criticisms." Preferably right after the situation in which the behavior of the boss a particularly disturbing. Not after everyone, says Regine Heiland. "Once clear and courageous is constructive, 17 times in a row rather nagging and übergriffig." The customer review has been automatically translated from German.
In the end everything is only half as wild
That chief criticism wants to be practiced, is now clear to me. But even a completely neglected conversation can be the beginning of a process. If you manage, after the communication-GAU approach each other again. Luckily, my boss was confident enough for that. The next day he called me to his office and confessed to me that he had pushed me into the corner. I could say again that I am sorry if I had taken him by surprise. Both of us risked something with our openness. But we had mastered the conflict. And that welded together. From then on we talked more frequently, even about unpleasant topics. And suddenly I was completely satisfied with my boss.
