A suggestion to my boss - What do you think and how will he react?

[Seeisoguy - 2011]

I have to agree with everyone else here. If you send that email you are going to be looking for a new job pretty quick. It is a lot of information with good points mixed in with criticism. Because of this the focus is going to be placed on the negative of the email and is only going to frustrate the GM.
Learn to Manage your Manager.
From what I gather from your posting he is the type of person that wants all the decision making to be done by him. Changing his ways are going to be difficult. The key is to make your ideas his ideas. Be a sales person and sale each concept to him in pieces not all at once. Be positive about it and very careful not to criticize. Your Manager will come to respect your perspective on things and trust you to make the decisions. This is going to be a long process and will take a lot of commitment on your behalf.
The question is, are you willing to make that commitment?
Good Luck!

 

[darkafar]

That's fine, but the question is, how do those traits relate or contribute to what you perceive as the manager's problems?

Hi Jim, you apparently misunderstood me. These traits are not problems. I mentioned his America experience because I wanted to know how a typical American in his position would react to my suggestion (critique).

 

[darkafar]

A little further story

My direct superior has given up trying long ago.

I have decided not to send the mail. I started looking for new employment two weeks ago and start receiving some interview invitations.

If I am still in this company by the yearend, we will have an internal audit. And as the audit leader, I shall interview the GM personally and induce him into these problems.

 

[Jim Wynne]

Hi Jim, you apparently misunderstood me. These traits are not problems. I mentioned his America experience because I wanted to know how a typical American in his position would react to my suggestion (critique).

I did misunderstand.

 

[BradM]

A little further story

My direct superior has given up trying long ago.

I have decided not to send the mail. I started looking for new employment two weeks ago and start receiving some interview invitations.

If I am still in this company by the yearend, we will have an internal audit. And as the audit leader, I shall interview the GM personally and induce him into these problems.

Darkafar, there is a country western song by Kenny Rogers called the Gambler. One of the oft quoted lines is

"You got to know when to hold them. Know when to fold them. Know when to walk away. Know when to run"

I laud that you want to make a difference. I think you can, but not until the GM becomes concerned enough with the organization to make some changes. Maybe you can find a job that is a little more responsive to process improvement.

If you stay, you can still maybe make some difference. Always be perceived as an agent of improvement; a champion of change. Take your points in the e-mail. Develop a project list of the things you would do to improve if given the chance. Show the dollar amount of savings. It's a difference in spinning.

As far as the internal audit, be objective and impartial. I realize it's a huge temptation to use the internal audit to "make things right". Be a good internal auditor, with the intention of compliance, and reporting to the manager the health of the quality system. If done correctly and objectively, you have done your job. Then it will be time for the GM to do theirs.

 

[Stijloor]

Darkafar, there is a country western song by Kenny Rogers called the Gambler. "You got to know when to hold them. Know when to fold them. Know when to walk away. Know when to run"

Here's the song.....

 

[Jen Kirley]

Yes Darkafar, I think it is a good time for the plans you've laid out.

I'd like to caution against leaving with a whopper set of audit findings that raises the question, "Why didn't the audit program find this before?"

It's a fair question--and after all it's fine to raise issues for the first time, just be ready to answer the question.

I've learned to present my findings in sets.

1. Departures from the standard
2. Departures from internal procedures
3. Gaps between internal procedures and the standard
4. Gaps between practice (and internal procedures that dictate the practice) and industry methods, like automotive FMEA and MSA manuals.

I've learned to apply the "You Tarzan, me Jane" language to what I find. That's not easy, but it's necessary. Like my dear mom said regarding talking with small children, "Use few words." In other words, speak simply.

I've learned to present findings of big, complex audits in spreadsheet form, using key words in a column so the fixes can be sorted according to urgency or ease of the fix. Having columns for "Priority" and "Date fixed" can provide useful recordkeeping for showing the problems were fixed, especially if the fixes take a long time. Such an approach may help corrective actions look a bit less complicated, the data less overwhelming. :

I plan to apply the things I've learned this past year or so in a Stealth Quality article titled "Correcting Corrective Action."

I similarly think you have grown a lot in the past year and it will help you find, and then operate effectively in, a good employer. I guess you could say I think you have developed a better sense of smell over this, but that doesn't always work.

When you consider employers, I would do research on them and consider their public standing. If it's a corporation, you should be able to view their prospectus. Look for online news about them. It helps with the interview, but it could also give you a chance to say "I'm staying away/heading right for so-and-so."

Please let us know how it goes!

 

[ngkjrs]

i just dont know. i had a boss like this but his behavior was made known to him in an informal get-together and he was also made aware that people dislike him because of this attitude.

Slowly, he started to change. His intentions were good (towards the welfare of the company) and he changed. I am not sure of your boss's intentions.

good thing is not put in black and white if you continued your career there but never miss a chance to let him know of your feelings in an informal get-together!

good luck

 

[Brizilla]

Darkafar, it's after years end and I for one want to know what's going on.

We need closure! how does the story end!

Briz

 

[darkafar]

Four months ago I resigned, about three months ago I entered a new company, two weeks ago I became a system manager, and my salary almost doubled.

I did not say anything to my former boss. We ended in a friendly way. The day I left, the company organized a party to send me off.