As a CEO, I post my four "rules for boss engagement" on my office door and on internal blog sites. The basic idea is that before you approach me, you should declare your purpose:
- You're bringing me news that does not require action. Don't show up with bad news after 4:00 on a Friday, unless it's business critical.
- You want a decision from me. Bring possible solutions to the problem - and your thoughtful recommendation.
- You want personal advice and counsel from me (not as the boss, and without expecting action on my part - it's your job to solve the problem).
- You want to complain about someone. Bring that person along with you, or we won't have a happy meeting.
I explain that I'm not trying to be arrogant or unresponsive. I care immensely about the people who work for me, but I have a company to run. If you want me to also do your job, don't expect to be too thrilled with the outcome.
As quoted in When Your Colleague Is a Saboteur by Bronwyn Fryer. HBR Case Study. November 2008. Harvard Business Review.
No comments:
Post a Comment