Are You Comfortable Telling Your Boss The Truth?
If someone asked you a tough question that put you on the spot, would you tell the truth if your beliefs were contrary to your bosses beliefs? Tough one, right?
I've always thought my managment style within my work environment mirrors the “go with the flow" type of approach. I wouldn't necessarily describe myself as the type that is a big fan of rattling cages. At times this has served me well, but what I've discovered over the years is that it can't hurt to periodically speak your mind even if it doesn't jive 100% with what management or your boss may think the answer should be. It may be a painful process, but that’s what the best companies I’ve worked with should be looking for in their employees.
Now, there is a distinct difference between the employees who can offer constructive or strategic feedback to their superiors versus the employees that have something constantly to complain about to their boss. The collective attitude of a sales company can be extremely contagious. Generally the later example tends to be the toxic folks that we're better off keeping our distance from. Sure, we all have a job to do and at times we're not always going to see eye-to-eye with a decision that our organization is making. But guess what, that has happened with EVERY person I've had the pleasure of working with over the years.
The juicy company smack talk with your peers at lunch is much more fun than railing on about how much you love your job. It can be easy to get caught up in the toxic company talk. But at the end of the day, doesn't that just make you more miserable? If you keep letting yourself get caught up in those kinds of discussions, the line eventually gets blurred between a justified and legitimate concern vs. complaining because everyone else is.
So what can a manager do prevent their employees from getting caught up in the negativity? I may sound like a dreamer, but I think everyone on your team should feel comfortable enough to come to you with a concern as they would a peer. As a team, ideally, we should all be on the same page and focused on achieving the same corporate goals.
Bottom line is -How can you expect your employees to take on ownership and accountability if they can't feel free to speak their mind? The good companies recognize that.