When The Boss Interferes With Work

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

I looked around me - my soul became wounded by the suffering of personnel officers.

Rev. according to A. N. Radishchev (1749-1802)

What to do? and who is to blame? - eternal questions characteristic of the Russian mentality. Following it, personnel workers are looking for a solution to the questions: what needs to be changed, and who is to blame for the stagnation of the team?

Perhaps the worrisome issues are formulated differently, but, of course, at any stage of the organization's existence there is something to think about. And first of all, pain points have to be found and voiced by the personnel department. After all, collecting a bank of problems reveals topical issues, helps to eliminate stereotypes of complacency and forces people to act "on fresh tracks" and meaningfully. After studying the information received, much in the work of the enterprise is realized differently. And in the identified problems, it is not uncommon for the head of the enterprise to become a topical issue. This is where the first lines from the immortal book of A. N. Radishchev's "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow", for which he was exiled to prison.

The leaders are divided into two sub-orders. Some do not see problems and no prospects, except for the acquisition of some new technology or the desire to quickly return the money spent on the next innovation. They do not pay attention to such concepts as personnel policy or personnel resource, and for the active position of the personnel manager they can be “exiled”, or even “expelled” from the organization. Others - mostly dissatisfied with something and someone - constantly live with the idea of what and how to change, constantly intervene in the production process, often breaking even what has proven itself well. After all, it would be great if the boss always understands the matter and tries to guide everyone on the truly true path. Otherwise, the life of the collective and, first of all, of the personnel officer is likened to hard labor. So is it necessary to do something in such situations? And if you do, then how not to become guilty and avoid being exiled?

In the case of urgent or recurring problems related to the actions of the leader, it really needs to be done. And although there is a pessimistic instruction for communicating with management, where the first paragraph says: "The boss is always right", and the second sounds even more depressing: "If the boss is wrong, then see paragraph one" - this does not mean that it is wiser to immediately retreat. If your compromise only harms the business, then you can and should talk with the leader (he is also a human being!), But talking is right!

The most important - politeness … Kindness and gentleness can melt glaciers. At the same time, you need to try to be sincere and not rush to praise the person from head to toe, but try to introduce him into a constructive style of communication, as you would with an ordinary ordinary employee, and, perhaps, a little softer. In addition, he is your colleague, so why do you even look at him as a garden scarecrow and do not rush to come up with a normal word? Offer him tea, biscuits, talk to him about life, the latest news, etc. Long-term polls of managers, analyzing the obstacles in the work of the enterprise, show that the recognition of the type "I interfere with the work myself" is encountered quite often and is commented by the respondents as follows: "the reason is my psychological burnout", "it is difficult to combine production work with team management", " psychological knowledge ". It is worth admitting to yourself that in any organization there are subordinates with inflated claims to the head. So try to create a "space of peace" for your boss, at least next to you.

If even before starting a conversation with a manager you know that he trusts the opinion of one of his colleagues more, take advantage of this circumstance for the benefit of yourself and your business and involve him in the conversation. Engage this colleague on your side in advance, explaining that the boss's erroneous actions can lead to even more serious consequences. Any professional will support you, even if your personal relationship does not work out.

Exclude from your speech the phrases: "you are wrong", "you are wrong" in relation to the leader. It is even worse to say that the boss does not understand anything about the topic under discussion (!!!): no one likes it when he is considered a layman and accused of incompetence. Such accusations only lead to the fact that the dialogue from technical issues turns into personal relationships, where everyone begins to defend their right to professionalism. More constructive dialogue will not work. And it is quite possible that it will never work. Conduct a conversation about this with all the staff of the enterprise, explaining to them this basic criterion for constructive communication.

If you disagree with the leader, then take the floor only when you have your own vision of the problem and its alternative solutions. At the same time, the leader's option should not be criticized, but it is wiser to offer a compromise, showing the benefits of combining your options. Do not hesitate to "explain on the fingers" if your manager is not well versed in the topic of the problem, and give specific examples when such linear solutions led to disastrous consequences, and more flexible positions gave a win. Even the most stubborn and domineering leader always listens to the advice and opinion of professionals, it is just that some people need time to make a different opinion or decision from his personal one.

Never take a discussion with your boss as an argument. The conversation should always be conducted confidently and calmly. Arguing his point of view with practical examples, previous experience in solving such situations. When logic and clear reasoning don't work, take time out and come back to the conversation later. Well, if you no longer succeed in talking, then understand and admit that it was not you, but your proposal that received the hard refusal. Realizing this will surely soften the unpleasant aftertaste. Determine the “price” of this refusal yourself, who will pay it, and respect the right of your leader to make professional mistakes and gain your own experience.

Another important point. When talking with a manager, emphasize that your goal is not to defend your vision of a problem or point of view, but the general interests of the business and the benefit of the boss himself. It will be good if you already know what the ambitions of your leader are and what may be behind them. Ambitious people often have great ideas that take time to understand their feasibility, pros, cons, and consequences.

And what to do if you achieved your goal, insisted on your proposal, but, for some reason, made a mistake. How to be in this situation? This is a matter of your responsibility. It also depends on what the consequences of the error are, who can fix them. In any case, you urgently need to report your mistakes yourself, and not wait for others to open it and say it. There is a good saying: "For one beaten, two unbeaten give." Your honesty will benefit you, at least to yourself. After all, only self-respect and your dignity will create the same attitude of other people towards you.

Finally, when discussing your leader, try to look at him from the outside. It may well turn out that he himself is a victim and hostage of many circumstances. After all, it is he, not you, who is responsible for everything that happens in the organization. Yes, and a complete coincidence of the views of the boss and employees does not happen often. But there are plenty of cases of violation of mutual understanding between them. So try to understand your boss. After all, it is common for everyone to be wrong. But the main thing that you have to do is always behave with dignity. Then your leader will understand that you need to treat you not the way he wants to, but the way you treat yourself.