Submitted by avsultana on
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Having heard the great podcast on ‘change management and creating the visuals’ I like the idea of filming some focus groups to present to my boss and the higher management to try and address some of the issues in the team. Is there any advice on how I might frame or present this so it doesn’t come across as a personal attack on my boss? My concern stems from being relatively new into a role and we’ve had run-ins recently where I believe he feels my suggestions are a direct criticism of his management style. I’m trying to address my behaviours to avoid that now, hence the question.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Take an objective approach
It would be a good idea to focus objectively on the behavioral aspect than the personality aspect. Identify the behaviors that you on want to highlight. Explain how it links to and impacts you. Finally if you can correlate it to data how it affects your performance, it would be a powerful presentation of your side of things.
You've had run-ins with your
You've had run-ins with your boss and you believe he perceives your suggestions as personal attacks? Now you're trying to figure a way to convince your boss you were right all along? Eeek!
I like the idea of an objective approach, but if you've already had run-ins the situation changes. Especially with you being new in the role, I can't imagine a future in trying to prove to your boss you're right and you've been right all along.
This doesn't sound like a situation where you're presenting an agenda to a person who believe might be skeptical and need to be persuaded. This sounds like a situation where there's already been a kerfuffle. I can't imagine any way you can continue to push this issue without coming across like you know more than your boss and you don't much care what he says, you're not letting go of it.
I'd recommend you try to put yourself in your boss's shoes and think how you'd react if the situation was reversed. In my opinion you should try to figure out what the boss wants and give it to him, rather than continue to push back even after he's made it clear it's not the path he wants to go down.
Thank you
Thank you for the responses. I should clarify that the changes I’m seeking to implement are being driven by recent staff surveys and a formal complaint raised against the way the team has been led; I’m really not trying to drive any personal agenda.
Our previous run ins have been around staff changes I’ve made where my direct was miserable in a role and was about to leave. His role was widely known to be an unofficial PA for my boss who can be a bit disorganised, but he isn’t supposed to have a PA as he’s not senior enough as per company rules. I stuck up for my direct and tried to find an amicable work around to get him the support he needed. Which included my taking on more work. He eventually came round, but I still get the odd comment.
My fear is that a lot of the team are unhappy and the boss is in the mindset (and he’s pretty much said this to me) of well I’ve been doing it this way for ever and I won’t change now.
" I’m really not trying to
" I’m really not trying to drive any personal agenda."
It doesn't matter if you're trying to drive any personal agenda. That's why my initial comment was, " he perceives your suggestions as personal attacks."
It doesn't matter how many formal complaints there are, how many staff suveys you put on the table, how much you believe he "isn't supposed to have a PA as he's not senior enough." I can see why he perceives your suggestions as personal attacks. You clearly think you know better than your boss about how things should work, and if he's not laying down for you there must be something wrong with him. Good luck changing that.
You say he came around, but you still get the "odd comment." If you're still getting odd comments, no, he didn't come around.
I've had directs who clearly did not have respect for me or my role. They too presented all sorts of evidence that they knew bettter than me how to do my job. If only I wasn't so stubborn or set in my ways I would surely recognize how right they were. Three guesses who lost when they dug in their heels and pushed their agenda. I don't mind some spunk, but the smart ones knew when to back off.
If you can parlay this into a situation where you're in charge of everything, more power to you. I just don't see any future in it.