My manager encourages employees to be innovative and stretch
their capabilities. He’s always receptive to new ideas, so I have
never hesitated to make suggestions. However, I was surprised by
his reaction to my latest proposal.
Q:
My manager encourages employees to be innovative and stretch their capabilities. He’s always receptive to new ideas, so I have never hesitated to make suggestions. However, I was surprised by his reaction to my latest proposal.
After describing certain inefficiencies that I have observed in our department, I presented some possible ways to correct them. These changes would have given me more responsibility and a higher-level position.
My boss took offense and said that many of these responsibilities belong to him. I quickly backed off, saying that I was simply trying to help. Now I’m reluctant to propose any new ideas for fear of jamming my foot in my mouth again.
A:
Since your boss has historically been open-minded, something about this proposal obviously hit a nerve. Perhaps he sensed an implied criticism of his managerial ability or viewed your bid for increased responsibility as self-serving. He may even feel that you are gunning for his job.
Regardless of the cause, his defensive response provides a valuable lesson in “managing up.” Before making any suggestion, you must carefully consider the perspective of those with the power to adopt it or kill it. The ability to understand management’s view is an invaluable political skill.
Even though this unexpected rejection was unsettling, don’t let it stifle your initiative. Your boss valued your ideas in the past and will undoubtedly welcome them again in the future. However, you have now learned that you must choose your words very carefully.
Q:
I have learned about some unethical behavior in the small community bank where I work. A few years ago, the CEO’s son was hired as a loan officer. He drives the bank car to lunch and takes it home every night. His secretary says he uses a bank credit card to fill up his truck and has even charged some personal items.
This amounts to stealing from the bank, which is especially annoying because employees received no raise last year. I would like to report him to the board of directors, but my only evidence is what his secretary told me. I’m also afraid that I might jeopardize my job. What should I do?
A:
Although something unscrupulous could be going on here, you should be cautious about jumping to conclusions based on hearsay, because you may not have all the facts. Managers often drive company cars home, and people frequently pay back personal charges to company credit cards.
If you do obtain hard evidence that the CEO’s son is violating regulations, you will have to decide what to do with that information. In a small-town bank, directors and executives are often friends, so you would need to assess the board’s objectivity. If state or federal regulators provide a “whistleblower process,” that might be another option.
The bottom line is that your job could be at risk, so don’t let irritation cause you to act impulsively. Remember that doing the right thing does not always guarantee fair treatment.
