how do you tell your boss?

[bubble]

On the money.

 

Some years ago, I attended many, many meetings. The chairman asked me for an honest opinion of how the meetings went. I said that they were fine. He asked me to be blunt. I repeated the opinion. He said he had hoped for more. He said I had a reputation for straight talking and that is what he wanted.

 

I told him he failed to control any meetings. They didn't start on time, didn't finish on time and never dealt with the agenda items. I added that if we ever came to a decision, I would have a nosebleed.

 

He thanked me for my straight opinion and then joined a queue of people marking my card.

 

Never trust anyone who asks for your honest opinion, unless they are a good friend or you don't care about your future prospects.

Yep +1

 

No good will come of it

[Suffolkngood]

Basically.....if it doesn't adversely affect management they are unlikely to want to make any effective changes.

[Lord Geordie]

Normally, the whole point of this is to improve the running of such companies! Be honest and say what needs saying! We get one every 12 month, and each year I have laid it down in black and white!

[notsosureshot]

My first question would be, how big is the company and what type is it, private, public, partnership or charity? I'd also ask your position relative to the management, your length of tenure and whether or not you'd consider the company to be traditionally operated, or more contemporary.

 

Might sound daft, but before giving any comments, it's worth fully understanding the context and audience.

[discobob]

What do you mean Ethics?

He lives and works in Norfolk!

I am sorry to disagree with you but they do have Ethics - just not the same ethics as the rest of the country

 

All I can say is give us a high six

 

Any way - on a (slightly) more serious note - got.any jobs going there as it sounds a vast improvement over where I am - two people to do the work (75% of it me - 25% of it the other guy) - too much work for us to do so the bring in 2 more guys and have put them in charge of us so they want to have meetings

about the work we are doing so we can't do the work because we are in meetings .....ad infinitum

 

They are also a right pair of twankers - I nearly walked yesterday after a run in with one of them.

Edited March 4, 2015 by discobob

[fortune]

 

On the money.

 

Some years ago, I attended many, many meetings. The chairman asked me for an honest opinion of how the meetings went. I said that they were fine. He asked me to be blunt. I repeated the opinion. He said he had hoped for more. He said I had a reputation for straight talking and that is what he wanted.

 

I told him he failed to control any meetings. They didn't start on time, didn't finish on time and never dealt with the agenda items. I added that if we ever came to a decision, I would have a nosebleed.

 

He thanked me for my straight opinion and then joined a queue of people marking my card.

 

Never trust anyone who asks for your honest opinion, unless they are a good friend or you don't care about your future prospects.

This is right. We have recently had a similar form. I haven't filled it in or replied to it. I look on it like this. When you are in charge you are in charge. I dont go and ask someone else how I should do my job. The only time I do ask is when I dont know what I am doing. So what does this say about your management? Dont get involved you wont get points for telling them that they are useless.

[fortune]

 

Peeing in the wind IMO. Keep your trap shut and dont be so nieve as to believe anybody actually wants to know what you think

This post is where the above was replied to by Gordon.

[craftycarper]

Although completely a different topic, I wish I would get one of them forms right now for my company and I would give them what for. My companies policy is that you have to give 28 days notice for leave, I gave 34 days notice for 1 day off and they have sent a mail out refusing any leave now until it refreshes in April....*****!

[daystate 177]

We have just had the same thing at our place but no name required good really as everyone slated the place and managers cattle prod was asked for by a few

[Nuke]

I have at least 1 every year, nothing to worry about in my opinion. It is mainly for the HQ people, I try to keep the managers closest to me in the hierarcy informed of my opinions and suggestions continously, no use putting your head into the sand and pretend it might be fixed by ignoring the problem.

 

Not a big deal, just avoid any personal stuff.

 

/Markus

[barney 66]

Tell them what you think, as long as they can't sack you for it, you might actually be respected for being honest, if not at least you have had your say

 

barney

[krugerandsmith]

Hi gents,

I've been given a questionnaire from work, about the work and what we think about the company.

while most of the questions are the usual drivel, some are designed to really lambast them should we so choose. I know this isn't a good idea but how could I best tell them that they have no organisation skills, let some of their staff get away with anything, and generally treat the rest of their employees like poo without upsetting the apple cart?

cheers for any help, be it funny or otherwise genuinely useful, i'm all ears.

ta,

Paddy

 

Hear all ..... See all ..... Say... Bu..er all. They who work and do their best go down the road just like the rest. Management doctrine. You play ball with me and ..... I'll stick the Bat right up your A.se.

[STOTTO]

Hi gents,

I've been given a questionnaire from work, about the work and what we think about the company.

while most of the questions are the usual drivel, some are designed to really lambast them should we so choose. I know this isn't a good idea but how could I best tell them that they have no organisation skills, let some of their staff get away with anything, and generally treat the rest of their employees like poo without upsetting the apple cart?

cheers for any help, be it funny or otherwise genuinely useful, i'm all ears.

ta,

Paddy

 

When someone asks you for your ‘honest opinion’ what they are really trying to do is to identify the trouble makers whom they believe are ‘rocking the boat’, why not use a little ‘reverse psychology’ and praise the things that are bad and so appear to be on-board and ‘with the programme’!

 

Peeing in the wind IMO. Keep your trap shut and dont be so nieve as to believe anybody actually wants to know what you think

 

I see that we both have the T-shirt!

[jimmydean]

You can be cynical or do it in good faith and then become cynical - if you still have a job.

[Imperfection]

Tell the truth. How are they expected to fix problems if they're not made aware of them?

 

Our company does these too and regulary get a roasting.

[Glenshooter]

Tell the truth. How are they expected to fix problems if they're not made aware of them?

 

Our company does these too and regulary get a roasting.

 

Exactly. But you shouldn't give them a roasting - (general point not to the above quote!) There are many ways to tell somebody or an organisation something. And to flame them is usually not the best way. It is usually counterproductive.

 

Well done to the company for 'seeking to understand'. Bigger well done if they act on the comments.......

[Brown Sauce]

Having worked for a large high street bank as a financial adviser, where quarterly feedback was a regular occurrence, they were anonymous, not compulsory and asked your age range, gender, nationality, orientation, religion etc, so couldn't be pinpointed back to any one individual. Funny how many 45-50 year old, female, Asian, lesbian, Catholic's worked in the team!!

 

The feedback was taken quite seriously, we'd regularly be marched into a meeting room by senior management to discuss our negative comments and it did result in some changes.

 

Though depending on the size of the company and also team, IMHO, I'd say if it's asking for your full name and/or to complete on paper, then be careful what you say!

 

If an employer should hold anything against you at a later date, then I'm sure they'd fall foul of employment law, PM Thunderbird and he'll give you the details.

 

Good luck

[grrclark]

I think a lot of businesses embark on these type of exercises with good intentions, but when the feedback arrives they look at it differently.

 

I am doing a bit of work with a small but extremely highly valued business just now and their board are going through a 360' appraisal process and have engaged consultants to do personality profiling of the leadership team, it is hybrid sort of exercise around the studies of Meredith Belbin and Karl Jung. No doubt loads of people on here will have been through similar exercises and most will have a different perspective.

 

If this company embrace the findings they should be able to make improvements in the performance of the leadership team and ultimately within their respective functions, but the absolute stand out feature is that the CEO is the classical business psychopath. Extremely driven, very little emotional quotient and prone to mad direction swings. No matter what the output is from this exercise he is not capable on engaging in the right way to get the best from it, it just isn't in his programming. He will make a really good go if it, but when the situation reaches a tipping point and he has to work on gut feel then it will be out the window.

 

Fortunately I am not involved in that exercise, I am advising them on some other issues, but it is fun to watch as an outsider having been part of those types of exercises many times. The majority of the other board members are panicking about what it will mean when it is put down in black and white that the CEO is a big part of the problem and what his reaction will be. The irony is though that without the CEO the business would simply not be the success that it is.

 

There is always value to be had if businesses can get honest feedback from employees, but it does depend on what they do with it.

[marktattoo]

I have had them at my employment, first time bosses stood over us critising the answers I but down, after that refused to take part in their surveys funny enough they still claim a 100% participation rate. Which tells me all I need to know

[Jega]

Right lets get back to basics ,you only go to work to pick a pay cheque up at the end of the week/ month,once you lose sight of this fact you are in trouble ,if you doubt this statement then ask yourself , "If they stopped paying me would i still come to work every day?" of course you would'nt .

If your or anyone elses employer could get someone to do your job for £1 an hour less you would be gone,this tells you what they think of you and by association your views and opinions.

When you clock off ,under no circumstances bring your work or its related issues( including queries about degrees of honesty when answering surveys) home with you,they are not paying you for this time .

Do you honestly think that any of these survey things is ever taken seriously or acted on ? not a chance .By doing so it would only serve to highlight the inefficiencies of management .

So just fill the thing in with the usual glib expected answers and keep taking the money mate .

[Thunderbird]

I think a lot of businesses embark on these type of exercises with good intentions, but when the feedback arrives they look at it differently.

 

I am doing a bit of work with a small but extremely highly valued business just now and their board are going through a 360' appraisal process and have engaged consultants to do personality profiling of the leadership team, it is hybrid sort of exercise around the studies of Meredith Belbin and Karl Jung. No doubt loads of people on here will have been through similar exercises and most will have a different perspective.

 

If this company embrace the findings they should be able to make improvements in the performance of the leadership team and ultimately within their respective functions, but the absolute stand out feature is that the CEO is the classical business psychopath. Extremely driven, very little emotional quotient and prone to mad direction swings. No matter what the output is from this exercise he is not capable on engaging in the right way to get the best from it, it just isn't in his programming. He will make a really good go if it, but when the situation reaches a tipping point and he has to work on gut feel then it will be out the window.

 

Fortunately I am not involved in that exercise, I am advising them on some other issues, but it is fun to watch as an outsider having been part of those types of exercises many times. The majority of the other board members are panicking about what it will mean when it is put down in black and white that the CEO is a big part of the problem and what his reaction will be. The irony is though that without the CEO the business would simply not be the success that it is.

 

There is always value to be had if businesses can get honest feedback from employees, but it does depend on what they do with it.

This is a very interesting post and I've been involved in many similar situations in the past. Getting real engagement from employees and making changes based on it is something few companies ever manage. It's like when your lawyer, doctor or accountant gives you sensible advice that for whatever reason you've invested emotional or other energy in the opposite opinion, it usually falls on deaf ears or you invent a reason not to take the advice, advice which very often you have paid through the nose for.

[Paddy Galore!]

What do you mean Ethics?

He lives and works in Norfolk!

mind your manners Magoo.

[Paddy Galore!]

some of the blokes have been talking about it today, apparently it's all to do with the son of the boss and his management coursework.

I was a bit hopeful at first, but on reflection we have a tool box talk every month, and **** all gets sorted then either

[fruity]

some of the blokes have been talking about it today, apparently it's all to do with the son of the boss and his management coursework.

I was a bit hopeful at first, but on reflection we have a tool box talk every month, and **** all gets sorted then either

 

Let them carry on , keep your head down keep your SOR codes up and take the money

[kyska]

On the money.

 

Some years ago, I attended many, many meetings. The chairman asked me for an honest opinion of how the meetings went. I said that they were fine. He asked me to be blunt. I repeated the opinion. He said he had hoped for more. He said I had a reputation for straight talking and that is what he wanted.

 

I told him he failed to control any meetings. They didn't start on time, didn't finish on time and never dealt with the agenda items. I added that if we ever came to a decision, I would have a nosebleed.

 

He thanked me for my straight opinion and then joined a queue of people marking my card.

 

Never trust anyone who asks for your honest opinion, unless they are a good friend or you don't care about your future prospects.

This ^^^^

 

Suggest an anonymous, independent 360 degree review on your form, anononymously, loads of companies do it for little cost, the results often upset the higher echelon, many are afraid of the 360.

 

Anything else is asking for a kick in the tits, I'm going through hell at the minute with work, with new management, it's almost enough to make formal complaints, or I could just sack it and work on the farm!