Work Babble

Comment

Comment by Dr. Ronald G. Shapiro on March 9, 2010 at 12:52pm

Hi Lacey,

I cannot tell you what to do... and obviously I don't have all of the details and the context of your question but I can tell you, generally speaking, what my strategy is with any feedback, recommendation, etc. requests and how I think it might apply to your situation.

First, I always want to know what my objective is in filling out any survey, evaluation, etc.

Second, I believe that no one should ever be surprised about what I might write.

Third, I believe that I should go into any writing assignment with the expectation that whatever I say will appear in the headlines of a major newspaper with my name on a by-line right below it. I might prefer that it not happen but if it does I need to be able to say oh well, so be it, and move on quickly.

Given the above here is what I think I would do in your situation:

1) Schedule a 1:1 meeting with my manager;

2) Tell him that I have been asked to fill out this evaluation (he may know already);

3) Ask him what I can do to be helpful to him in my response;

4) Mention what I think his strengths are how they have been helpful to me;

5) Discuss ways in which he might be more helpful more productive, etc going forward;

6) Develop an action plan to reaching these goals;

7) Ask him how he would feel about my putting into his evaluation that we have had productive meetings about ways in which he can do even better in the future (outline them).

At the conclusion of the meeting and in my evaluation I would also mention that I really appreciated:

1) the open and honest dialog

2) his previous support and competence

3) his receptivity to suggestions for improvement and his constantly striving for excellence.

Thank him for helping you complete the evaluation. Write up your comments. Send them in... and then move on to the next task at hand.

As a manager I might add that close to the beginning of ever employee evaluation I learned to ask almost every employee "What can I do better? How can I be more helpful to you?" and I'd also ask the same questions towards the end.


I hope my comments have been helpful. If you would like to discuss further please feel free to send me your telephone number in a personal message and I'll call you. Ron

Comment by Pamme Boutselis on March 9, 2010 at 12:17pm

More and more, employees are asked to be a part of the process in areas of management that they were seldom privy to before.

I think you can be honest, but I imagine that you have some negative feedback to share since you are hesitant to do so. I do think that you'll have to give some thought as to how you'd like to frame that feedback, and it would be helpful to perhaps talk first about the positives of the situation; the things that you think your boss does well that you feel benefit your team (there must be some or at least I hope there are).

Then I'd approach the things that you feel could benefit from improvement, perhaps it is his communication style or the manner in which he assigns work. Whatever the concern, if you voice it respectfully and illustrate why this currently doesn't work as effectively as it could and offer a few solutions or suggestions that might make a difference without finger pointing or maligning your boss, it can be then taken in the spirit in which it is offered and perhaps even improve the situation.

We all benefit from critique, regardless of what our pay grade is. I think it's important to include evaluation from those who work for an individual. It's the only way to get a well-rounded look at how that person operates in their given role and how they are perceived in the workplace on all levels.

It can be tough, however, as an employee to be completely honest in response, particularly if your boss is not as professional in receiving feedback as one hopes he/she might be.

I don't think you can go wrong by being respectful and professional in your feedback however. By not responding to this request from his boss, it can perceived as a negative about you as well as your own boss.

Comment by Tony Deblauwe on March 9, 2010 at 11:50am

Hi Lacey - I think its perfectly normal to have feedback come from all angles. Your boss's boss is looking at a holistic view of performance so he or she wants to understand how your manager manages. I would complete it.

Comment by Kerry Cotter on February 11, 2010 at 2:58pm

Thanks for the feedback!

Comment by Pamme Boutselis on February 11, 2010 at 1:02pm

I agree completely, Tony. Clarification is in order. Too often, when positions are created, the new employee or the existing one that the position was created for end up taking on responsibilities that were others prior.

Unless management communicates this clearly, it can lead to dual efforts and in many cases, hard feelings in the office, none of which is either employees' fault. Both think they are doing what they are supposed to do.

It is extremely important for management, and in this case your boss, to clearly communicate expectations and responsibilities for each employee whenever a new position is created, or employees have to take on additional work as a result of layoffs.

Comment by Tony Deblauwe on February 11, 2010 at 11:44am

Kerry I think the best thing to do is clarify the role. Often because of layoffs or org changes, job duties get mashed together and unintentionally you end up with some overlap with duties that are carried out somewhere else. By talking about roles and responsibilities openly and candidly with your boss and peers, you can quickly determine who needs to own what.

Comment by Kerry Cotter on February 11, 2010 at 10:05am

Here's a question, when a company creates your job title and you take on roles that once belonged to another employee, what are some ways to ensure you are not "stepping on anyone's toes" to get your work done?

Comment by Pamme Boutselis on January 26, 2010 at 1:14pm

Good reference pieces that you have included here, Tony. I am also looking forward to seeing "Undercover Boss."

I particularly like "Is Your Executive Brand Digitally Distinct?" It's a great tool.