Speaking indirectly to employees
Speaking indirectly to employees
(OP)
Does anyone run into this:
completly random example here...
Boss thinks you're spending too much time on the phone (again, this is a very "randomized" example). Instead of confronting YOU about your phone time, he complains to you about your co-worker John Doe who works in another facility spending too much time on the phone. Really makes him out to be a bad employee.
First of all, what is this behavior called? Is there a better name for it than "indirect speaking"? Some sort of very transparent smokescreen...
completly random example here...
Boss thinks you're spending too much time on the phone (again, this is a very "randomized" example). Instead of confronting YOU about your phone time, he complains to you about your co-worker John Doe who works in another facility spending too much time on the phone. Really makes him out to be a bad employee.
First of all, what is this behavior called? Is there a better name for it than "indirect speaking"? Some sort of very transparent smokescreen...
-Plasmech
Mechanical Engineer, Plastics Industry





RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
I believe weakleadershipobia is the technical term for it.
I know what you mean, and it's not fair to the employee who needs to have a behavior discussed directly with him/her; not fair to the employee who is being talked about and it makes the boss look just as he/she is - poor at managing employees.
Greg Lamberson, BS, MBA
Consultant - Upstream Energy
Website: www.oil-gas-consulting.com
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
Perhaps you should tell him about a former co-worker who tried and tried, unsuccessfully, to reach a client via email. After giving up on ever getting a response, he rationalized by saying "the conversation probably would have led to scope creep anyway."
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
He will most often state (to all) that one person in the dept has been observed doing (the offending act) and that this is against policy and won't be tolerated. All this without ever speaking to the individual directly ever.
Poor management IMO. He calls it diplomacy. I call it avoidance.
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
The best way to test something is to squeeze it, slowly, until it breaks!
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated 10-07-07)
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Have you read FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
Call him on it - ask him if he thinks you are spending too much time on the phone too, or whatever he has chosen to complaoin to you about. Another idea is to suggest that he should take up the matter with the offenders.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
If it's a big enough problem to talk about, it's big enough to talk to the individual directly about.
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
Reminds of a time when my manager's manager hauls me and one of his subordinates into his office. He then tongue lashes his subordinate in front of me. Ten minutes later, he slows down enough for my compatriot to ask the reason for his discourse; it's the late weekly status report, of course! Naturally, I had nothing to do with that, and was apparently inadvertently caught up the maelstrom.
TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
-Plasmech
Mechanical Engineer, Plastics Industry
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
Phil
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
However, the boss is human too. They may not have a good handle on what you are doing, is confused by it all and does not know how to handle it. The boss is asking one of the subordinates to get their opinion. From the bosses perspective you are spending too much time on the phone. (I am not saying that there is not a valid reason). If your colleague can rationalise the problem to the boss, every one is a winner (maybe). The boss has not fired off at you (and lost face), you have not been fired off at (and feel narked by it) and it is water under the bridge. Perhaps the person in the wrong is the colleague who is letting you know that the boss is talking to him.
Just playing devils advocate.
Tickle
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
Doesn't sound much like a solicitation for an alternate opinion. And again, to talk to one subordinate with another is bad form, and presents a chilling and hostile environment. If he says this about someone else, what is he saying about you to someone else?
TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
-Plasmech
Mechanical Engineer, Plastics Industry
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
Plasmech, which name did you pick?
I am partial to weakleadershipobia.
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
Need to find a suitable hat first.
-Plasmech
Mechanical Engineer, Plastics Industry
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
I prefer to have someone deal with me in a straight forward manner. the situation described seem to make the boss out to be a weasle. Plasmech please add "Weasle" to the list.
The best way to test something is to squeeze it, slowly, until it breaks!
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
1) Agree enthusiastically about how badly your coworker is abusing phone use in the office, and then not change anything about my own behavior.
2) Act as if the funniest thought just occured to you, and say "Well I'll be, he must really be a problem if he uses the phone more than me!".
3) Tell him, "I'm pretty sure you're talking about my phone use. I appreciate that you're bringing this to my attention and I'll try to get it under control. I'm depending on you to let me know if my behavior here is ever unacceptable. I know you need to be careful with how you give constructive criticism to some people, but I hope we can have a more direct relationship since I thrive on direct feedback."
If I like my job, option 3. If I'm tolerating my job, option 1. If I'm looking for an exit, option 2.
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
If he does a lot of stuff like that, he really is a poor manager. He'll probably throw you under the bus one day if possibly gets him out of a jam. I would make myself crazy wondering about all the trash talking he probably does to my co-workers about me, true or not. What a fun work environment!
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
-Plasmech
Mechanical Engineer, Plastics Industry
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
- Steve
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
V
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
My boss tells me someone from our dept spends too much time on Eng Tips I'll be trying to work out what their handle is, not worrying that he means me!
(Note above is humorous, I'm not quite that socially inept)
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
Are you saying we are so socially inept or linear thinking that we would not have seen that as humor?
(that was ment in fun too)
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
If my boss said "someone spends too much time on Eng Tips."
I would be momentarily happy, thinking he hired another engineer... (Me being the only engineer)
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
RE: Speaking indirectly to employees
Sadly (or perhaps fortunately) in person the fact I'm BSing is all too evident.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...