A popular session in many of our Poynter seminars covers “managing the boss.” And in every session, you’ll hear someone state the cardinal rule: “No surprises.”
It means managers don’t want to be blindsided by bad news. I suspect they wouldn’t want to be the last to learn about exceptionally good news either, but that’s not what they focus on when talking about the “no surprises” mantra.
Bosses are concerned with worst-case scenarios:
- Managers worry that staff members might delay telling them about a problem, which then explodes into a disaster.
- Managers dread the thought that their own bosses might confront them about a problem on their watch — a problem they didn’t even know existed.
- Managers don’t want to be caught up short by a customer complaint, unprepared to respond, unarmed with background information.
- Managers don’t want to discover that a great employee left because of an unresolved issue that could have been addressed.
The “no surprises” philosophy makes such sense that you might wonder why bosses feel the need to preach it. Here’s my take: rather than simply make it their mantra to employees, bosses should also do a little mine-sweeping in their own backyards.
Is it possible that the culture of the organization or the management style of the boss make it difficult for people to speak truth to power? Is there a subtle soundtrack playing in the background, that old song from the Broadway musical, “The Wiz” — “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News“?
If you want to make certain people feel comfortable being candid with you, boss, here are five things to examine:
2. Are you good at separating “whining” from “whistle-blowing”? In tough and changing times, bosses can lose tolerance for complaints. They’re constantly dealing with unhappy people, but each person may have a different reason for and legitimacy to his/her grievances. It’s easy to put up a “No Whining” poster — literally or figuratively — and in the process, send a message to staff that no news is better than bad news. It’s up to the boss to help each staffer understand how to communicate in good times and bad.
3. How quickly do you resolve problems? Some managers hate conflict. They put off difficult conversations so often and for so long that staffers feel it doesn’t pay to bring problems to them. They complain to each other instead or craft workarounds that sidestep a tough and unresolved situation.
4. How transparently do you solve problems? People want to know that if they take the risk of bringing difficult issues to you, you will take them seriously, have their backs, and solve problems in ways that make the organization better. When solutions involve sanctions to staff members, bosses can’t broadcast the errant employees’ personnel files just to prove they took action, but they have many other options. Great bosses find ways to follow-up on solutions by turning them into teaching moments for the staff.
5. How clear are you with staff about your span of control? If you lack the authority to resolve a problem singlehandedly, be honest with your staff about what you can do and what you will do to take it across organizational silos or to the next level of management. “That’s above my pay grade” or “I don’t run that department” are responses that some bosses use to discourage people from expecting them to produce results. But if you don’t want your staff to do end-runs around you for solutions, you need to do more than bemoan your limits. You need to build alliances and strategies so your fellow managers and your bosses can be part of solutions. After all, they’re not likely to appreciate surprises any more than you do.
There’s one more question to consider — it’s about the perception of sacred cows in your organization and how that perception can be dangerous. I talk about that in today’s podcast: “What Great Bosses Know about ‘No Surprises.’ “
Poynter’s “What Great Bosses Know” podcast is sponsored by The City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. You can download a complete series of these podcasts free on iTunesU. Poynter’s leadership and management expert Jill Geisler shares practical information on leadership and management that’s valuable for bosses in newsrooms and all walks of life.
