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The boss isn't listening

REBECCA DUBE

From Monday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 11:27 AM EDT 08/05/08

Managers' unwillingness to listen to tough issues leaves many underlings fearful of speaking frankly ...Read the full article

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  1. M Hawk from Canada writes: If anyone wants to read some good books on the subject of communication, read:
    Crucial Conversations, and Crucial Confrontations.

    Both excellent books on the subject, they explain how to have a difficult conversation with someone and get them to listen, and how not to pss them off.
  2. Jeff S from Canada writes: I had a boss ignore my cost saving advice before and then tried to peg it on me by saying he wasn't given the information.

    Luckily, I was reporting under two different organizational structures and I had been reporting (both verbally and written) lack of progress with him to the other structure.

    From that they forward I cc. everyone on important information.

    I've dealt with to many people who don't want to do anything but wait for a pension.
  3. Placido Durango from Here to Eternity, Canada writes: The truth is, most managers are incompetent.
  4. Umm... Toronto from Canada writes: Of course most managers are incompetent. There are more managerial positions than there are qualified leaders. This only makes sense, does it not?
  5. Mr. Coffee from Victoria, Canada writes: I've had my share of "Lumburgh" bosses. He's the fictional character from the brilliant movie Office Space.

    And to think that companies scratch their heads as to why turnover rates are high.
  6. B A from Ottawa, Canada writes: There's one more catch of course. If you report a problem to the boss more often than not their first reaction is to slap the messenger with the responsibility to fix it without reducing the messenger's current workload so that they can deal with the probelm effectively. At that point the messenger is faced with the dilemma to find the resources to fix the problem at the expense of the other projects he or she is working on or to not devote enough time to fixing the probelm they identified to their boss. Their needs to be more than "communication" in the workplace. Their needs to be a triage policy. If 'x' happens and it is deemed essential to respond to then 'y' needs to be put on the back burner until 'x' is fixed properly. Until that point 'communication' policy is just talk.
  7. Alpha Sigma from Canada writes: But listening to tough issues may require the boss to actually get their hands dirty with details instead of just brushing it off and delegating it.
  8. Gardiner Westbound from Canada writes:
    Being truthful with your boss is almost always a career limiting move.
  9. Rick D from Ontario, Canada writes: While I don't want to disparge all managers, (there are some good ones out there), my concern pertains to the ones that are introducing a new dialect into the workplace and thinking it improves efficency, "Speaking Crackberry".

    It's very difficult to have a meaningful discussion or exchange of ideas with a manager(or co-worker), who feels the need to respond in 3 words or less.

    In my opinion, this is probably the worst technological advance to occur within the workplace.

    Reminds me of a quote I use in my line of work;

    "The most important part of communication is to listen to what isn't being said".
  10. K S from Velo City, Canada writes: B A, one good way to deal with over-burdening would be to present the items on your plate and politely ask your boss which of these they would like you to put on hold while you deal with this issue. That should put the onus (gently) back on them to consider your workload and whether this can fit within it.
  11. Joyce Smith from Vancouver, Canada writes: Why is it that most managers look and act like something right out of Dilbert?
  12. Tough Camper from Vancouver, Canada writes: Managers act like they're from Dilbert, because most companies are rotting from within.

    Those who make it, are the head-nodders. "Oh yes, that's do-able," "sure boss, we can make that timeline...". It inspires a whole house-of-cards of organizational head-nodding.

    Of course it takes poor leadership to let this go on, but there's no shortage of that.

    I've yet to work somewhere where the management level acted responsibly. If it was their money being wasted, they would never just swish you out of the room when you brought up issues!

    Why are so many company cultures like this?? Why is there so much middle management support for going along for the lie?

    There's a saying my boss loves, "no one ever got fired for making the popular political decision." It's true too- the head-nodders just get promoted even further beyond their abilities.

    It's enough to make one wonder if, as a society, we're not just rotting from within...

  13. Popeye Dillon from North Vancouver, Canada writes: Placidio and Joyce: My last corporate boss did look like Dilbert and he was incompetent. In many cases the boss doesn't listen because he doesn't really know the jobs that other people do. Rising through the ranks doesn't occur as often as it used to therefore you very often are supervised by someone who doesn't have the experience in your field. Before I left the corporate world I was in commission sales where you could make an exceptional remuneration. If you were promoted to supervisor you made much less money on salary. Why take on more responsibility for less money. The company knew the good sales sharks wouldn't take the position so they normally filled the supervisors position with an incompetent yes man/women. The donkey very often gets to lead the lions.
  14. J S from Toronto, Canada writes: My old boss fired me for getting sick after returning from disability after I got robbed at gun-point. I wasn't bad enough to be on disability but it was affecting my work. He kept asking for doctors notes for every absence and I got quite a few - but they were never looked at and all I ever received was, "your absences are unacceptable". When I applied for disability, I was denied because I was fired. All those threats that I'd be fired if I didn't improve my attendance were supposed to heal me, I guess. And I'm assuming that the company thinks firing me would heal me but it did the exact opposite. I'm so depressed now I still can't bring myself to apply for a new job...
  15. Michele K from Ottawa, Canada writes: My company introduced 360-degree performance reviews last year, and wow, were a few sr. mgt. eyes opened.

    And now they're actually doing something about our problem managers, though our problem is not about managers who don't want to hear bad news, but managers who have no management skills, yet have been allowed to rise to their particular level of incompetence.
  16. Joyce Smith from Vancouver, Canada writes: By the way, has anyone seen my Swingline stapler?
  17. Alan Burke from climatechange.dynalias.com in Ottawa, Canada writes: Management has often been confused with leadership. A leader will defend. He will attack. He will not accept status quo from an incompetent manager; he knows that a desire to excel will exceed.

    You must have the guts to face your bully down.

    There are studies about about management and leadership which should give your courage to deliver

    If you do not have these 3 things in balance then it's time for you to move on:

    1. Responsibility.
    2. Authority
    3. Accountability.

    If only one fails, the legs fall off your 3-legged stool.

    Given the responsibility and accountability, demand the authority.

    If your boss has any knowledge of management and leadership, he'll support you. He'll accept the delegated responsibility and accountability as his own. If you did not accept the delegation then he might refuse you in future but if he didn't give you the authority then he's at fault.

    But you must have the guts to do it.
  18. Ab Irato from Montreal, Canada writes: Placido Durango from Here to Eternity, Canada writes: The truth is, most managers are incompetent.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    truer words were never written.
  19. Ab Irato from Montreal, Canada writes: If anyone ever wants to read a great book on leadership, read "Leading Change" by John Kotter.
  20. Aidan Crawford from Toronto, writes: Telling the difference between Leadership and Management is one of the biggest failures of a lot of bosses.

    Jim Clemmer writes about Leadership Vs Management in his article, appropriately titled, " Management Vs. Leadership"
    http://www.clemmer.net/articles/distinctionbetweenmanagementandleadership.aspx

    He had another article on this very same subject appear a couple of weeks back in the Careers section and his new book is about bad bosses and poor communications - www.mooseonthetable.com
  21. Trevor Russell from Canada writes: Corporate Canada is full of incompetent managers but it is equally replete with incompetent workers. Often times a manager is incompetent because their manager will not train or coach them or due to a corporate culture which discourages honest dialogue and meaningful progress. Another issue is when workers have little true understanding of the managers role or responsibilities and from this point of ignorance decide to evaluate the manager. It's not a simple as this article would like to portray.
  22. Aidan Crawford from Toronto, writes: A lot of the time a manager is promoted based on their superior technical abilities.

    Very smart people can be very bad managers if they don't have the people skills to play nicely with others.

    There's a mindset that everyone has to keep moving upwards - even if moving upwards isn't the right thing for every individual.
  23. Aidan Crawford from Toronto, writes: The article link I posted did come through right.

    Apologies.
    Management Vs Leadership
    http://www.clemmer.net/articles/distinctionbetweenmanagementandleadership.aspx
  24. CD W from Canada writes: My work place has started management assessments, so far, they are failing, now they want more input from lower types, I will let you know how it goes.
  25. Globe Insider subscriber content
    Eriq49 Indignis from Toronto, Canada writes: "Dr. Barwise points to the example of Toyota, where any employee - no matter how junior - is empowered to stop the assembly line if he or she sees a problem."

    I would like to see what happens to the junior employee who put that slogan to the test.
  26. Troy Bond from Halifax, writes: Jeff S from Canada writes:... I've dealt with to many people who don't want to do anything but wait for a pension.

    Jeff, that is bang on!
    What a nightmare working under that person, especially one that doesn't know what they are doing. If an organization doesn't know they have this problem, they should all be fired.
  27. Hopeless Wonder from Hamilton, Canada writes: I love it when a manager tells you "it's a manager's right to manage". So much for open commuincation.
  28. Globe Insider subscriber content
    incognito k from Canada writes: After going through a merger years ago, I being at the bottom of the totem pole got the impression that this close your eyes by management went right to the top. Although there were some exceptions the usual answer was, "the manager doesn't like it because, the director doesn't like it, because the head office doesn't like it, because the VP" etc to the President. My impression was substantiated when an acquaintance of mine who was working as a contractor to the firm ran into the same stonewalling. It wasn't long before we went into bankruptcy protection.
  29. Matt Milne from Canada writes: "Executives often use market research the way a drunk uses a lampost - for support rather than illumination" - That's just beautiful, I'm adding that to my list of favorite quotations right now...
  30. More or Less from Canada writes: K S from Velo City, Canada writes: B A, one good way to deal with over-burdening would be to present the items on your plate and politely ask your boss which of these they would like you to put on hold while you deal with this issue. That should put the onus (gently) back on them to consider your workload and whether this can fit within it.
    ======
    K S, sadly that is la la land in my experience. While I had no problem telling my boss The Truth (and feedback was that was what they liked best about me), it seemed if it merited action, it got dumped on me, 'since you understand the problem'. It was tempting to lie low like everyone else in the company, but I couldn't bring myself to do that. I left and started my own company.
  31. Jeff O from Canada writes: One interesting characteristic of the last 2 bosses I've had: Both are men of the baby boom, both carrying their 1960s values into their management styles - disdain for business attire, mistrust of hierarchy, authority and authoritarian styles of management.

    Of course, all this means is that they have no taste for confrontation, prefering to do their dirty work behind people's backs, maintaining the illusion that everything is cool and casual on the surface.

    It makes for an unholy mess at the office, believe me.
  32. The Seeker from Toronto, Canada writes: It isn't a problem that the boss isn't listening to me - I stopped listening to him a long, long time ago.
  33. Open Mike from Canada writes: From the article: "Pick the right boss." Right. I can see the result of that: a Canadian workforce of 16 million people working for fifty good bosses. Does the writer have any idea how astoundingly rare good managers actually are in the real world? Our workplaces are teeming with lousy executives, bosses, managers and supervisors, plus many workers who are mostly just a waste of good carbon. No wonder most people end up just hanging on until their pension, so they can escape the many afflictions visited upon us by these bullies, ignoramuses, polecats, poltroons and clowns.
  34. wayne sharp from kapuskasing, Canada writes: Sadly our plant will soon go under due to mismanagement, the treatment of workers by management and CEO's is shameful to put it mildly. JS from toronto=Guess if you went back to your old company bring one of those guns or since managers like to harass workers we should have a policy where all workers try to sleep with that managers wife-if he wants to screw with your life why not screw up his! We are returning to the Jimmy Hoffa ways of solving problems and I'm sorry to say it's the only way to get results- Wasting your time with unions or government agencys all work for corperations & there CEO's-Days of talking things out are gone, Laws only empower those that are guilty like the government/Police, you know the career criminals, the rest of us are pawns. :(

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