Management Voice Index
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Complaining about the boss is a favourite occupation of many workers, and complaints about their ability to manage usually far exceed complaints about technical or professional skills. So seriously, why not

Tell your boss the truth!

There are two kinds of manager: those who manage people, and those who manage tasks or projects. This Management Voice is firmly about the people managers.

What's the big complaint?

Here are some of the most popular complaints about bosses and what you might do about it:

He doesn't know what he wants

Tell him to go away and not come back until he can give you some SMART goals.

She's always changing her mind/ the goals/ the plans

Tell her to fix a timeline for a deliverable and not come back until the delivery date

He spends all the meetings shouting at us

Walk out of the next meeting when he starts shouting and say you will come back when he stops.

She doesn't listen to a word we say

Ask her to stay at home and send her thoughts by email. Say that you won't respond because she won't listen anyway.

He always favours one person

Tell him that you will pass all your work on to this favoured person because clearly he would rather this other person did it

She takes the credit for your work

Tell her you will pass your work direct to her bosses as it shortens the timescale for delivery

He ignores us and spends his time flattering his own boss

Perhaps you should be grateful, but tell him he's a complete creep anyway*

She dumps everything on me

Tell her she's a lazy layabout*

* you may need to be a little more diplomatic than this with your boss!!

As it happens, most readers of Management Voice are themselves managers of people. It's just possible some of your team might feel the need to voice these complaints about you!

If you are really brave, you might ask for anonymous responses based on the above – but you probably know what they will say, so plan to do one thing differently from now on.

As for how much truth you tell your own boss – that's up to you and secure you feel in your role.

Management Voice Index
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