There are a lot of management stereotypes, some of which I’ve written about in a previous article. But no matter what stereotype your boss falls under, employees expect their bosses to speak up or take a stand when the situation calls for it. Doing one or the other really says a lot about their leadership style and could help you work with him/her better.

So…does your boss speak up when:

…you did an awesome job?
After working long hours or going out of your way to save the day, do you get at least a little compliment from your boss? Most bosses fail in this area quite miserably. Often we get tons of complaints or demands from our bosses but when we do a really great job, it can be so hard to squeeze out even just a thank you. Two simple words can bring a lot of encouragement and make an employee feel appreciated. “Great job!” Or “Hey, thanks!” isn’t too hard to say, is it?

…a negative incident needs to be addressed?
Don’t you just hate it when a colleague in your team or your department just slacks off and makes everyone’s job harder? What would your boss do if you called your colleague out: would s/he address it or dismiss it? It’s a boss’ job to reprimand his staff when needed. It’s the most valid reason to speak up! Morale can take a serious nose dive if your boss doesn’t give the erring colleague a talking to or a warning. S/he doesn’t have to do it publicly; they just have to do it!

…you need instructions to get things done?
Some bosses would just hand you a new task without explaining the what, how and when of it all. They either trust your abilities that much or they just want to get the task out of their hands quickly. It can be very frustrating when you tried to figure it out on your own without instructions and then later received all kinds of complaints. If your boss only knew when to speak up, give suggestions or detailed instructions on what they exactly want, wouldn’t the world just be a better place?

…your job is at risk?
There are times when you’re a superman (or woman) at work; and there are times when your outputs just don’t make the grade…sometimes these unintended blunders may cost you your job, and you may find yourself up on the chopping block…and worse, your boss has the final say. Depending on the circumstances, it’s your boss’ job to speak up for you and defend your value to the company. It’s sad how some good workers lose their jobs because their bosses have failed to speak up during these situations.

…your growth in the company is at stake?
A good recommendation from your boss can help you get promoted or get transferred to a new position that you’ve been aiming for. Good bosses appreciate your work and should back you up; great bosses encourage you to pursue your goals at the soonest possible time. This is one good time for them to say something!

Knowing what to say and when to say it, no matter how hard, is only one of the burdens today’s managers have to deal with on a daily basis. But if bosses consistently know what needs to be said and who to direct his/her words, then they will undoubtedly earn the respect and loyalty of their employees.

Have a great weekend!

Tags: job, job tips, jobs, Personal Branding, professional

This entry was posted on Friday, August 13th, 2010 at 12:14 pm and is filed under Free Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.