When the leader above you makes a mistake, says the wrong thing in a group or client setting, or grossly misreads a situation, it is imperative that they understand the potential consequences and stand ready to make a correction.
Great post - when I was a junior brand manager at a leading UK brewer, my boss, who was brilliant, challenged me on an assumption based on not enough data and he thought he was right about why the brand was growing. This was in a team meeting. I spent a weekend analysing all the relevant data we had to establish if he was right or my assumption was right - the data analysis showed us something different but what’s important here is the openness he had to a further discussion based on facts. It wasn’t about who was right or wrong but what was really happening. He was a brilliant strategist and I loved working with him, and he taught me a lot. He was open to exploring ideas rather than being closed. And yes, fully agree, challenging your boss head on is probably not a great idea for all sorts of reasons. Thank you for this newsletter.
Please correct me if I have made a mistake. I cannot be surrounded by people that tip-toe around me but are causing an infinite amount of damage discussing my mistake with others behind my back.
Would a real leader be offended? Or is it more a “manager” that would be offended. Again are we mixing up between these two; manager and leader. You can be a manager without being a leader and vice versa.
This is interesting and I think it speaks to the reality of giving feedback upwards in the chain of command. It’s not the spirit of ‘speak up culture’ that we’re all trying to create, but I think the practice and the theory of speaking up ‘up’ the line is very different. Giving upwards feedback is very challenging and very risky. Unless there is trust in that senior person and they’ve demonstrated a humility in receipt of feedback previously, then being the first person to offer that feedback is still a brave act.
Seeking clarity as a way of giving upwards feedback is such brilliant advice
Great post - when I was a junior brand manager at a leading UK brewer, my boss, who was brilliant, challenged me on an assumption based on not enough data and he thought he was right about why the brand was growing. This was in a team meeting. I spent a weekend analysing all the relevant data we had to establish if he was right or my assumption was right - the data analysis showed us something different but what’s important here is the openness he had to a further discussion based on facts. It wasn’t about who was right or wrong but what was really happening. He was a brilliant strategist and I loved working with him, and he taught me a lot. He was open to exploring ideas rather than being closed. And yes, fully agree, challenging your boss head on is probably not a great idea for all sorts of reasons. Thank you for this newsletter.
Please correct me if I have made a mistake. I cannot be surrounded by people that tip-toe around me but are causing an infinite amount of damage discussing my mistake with others behind my back.
Would a real leader be offended? Or is it more a “manager” that would be offended. Again are we mixing up between these two; manager and leader. You can be a manager without being a leader and vice versa.
Good morning,
Another powerful post.
Thank you for this.
I appreciate your time.
This is interesting and I think it speaks to the reality of giving feedback upwards in the chain of command. It’s not the spirit of ‘speak up culture’ that we’re all trying to create, but I think the practice and the theory of speaking up ‘up’ the line is very different. Giving upwards feedback is very challenging and very risky. Unless there is trust in that senior person and they’ve demonstrated a humility in receipt of feedback previously, then being the first person to offer that feedback is still a brave act.
Seeking clarity as a way of giving upwards feedback is such brilliant advice