Don’t Break Bad News To Your Boss Until You Have A Solution To The Problem

When something at work doesn’t go right — be it a delayed project, an angry client or your own personal cock-up — it is imperative that your boss knows about it. After all, they should know about incidents within the business and it’s their responsibility to make the decision on how to fix the problem. But don’t just charge into their office, announce that there’s an issue and then expect them to clean up the mess for you.

Curious boss image from Shutterstock

Yes, it’s your boss is responsible to be the face of the company when things go wrong and they’re the ones that make the executive decisions on what happens in the event of a screw up. But that doesn’t mean they enjoy doing it. When a problem arises, the worst thing you can do is dump it on to them and expect a solution.

Being the former CEO of General Electric and the founder of the Jack Welch Management Institute, Jack Welsh has a wealth of management experience under his belt. When it comes to breaking the bad news to your boss, here’s what he has to say in a recent blog post:

“[W]hen you walk into your boss’s office with a troubling situation, always walk in with its solution too, or, at a minimum, a route to its solution. And do that sooner rather than later; denial and delay only make matters worse.
 
“The truth is, bosses have to hear bad news. It’s their responsibility. It’s their job. And they know that. But your star will certainly rise if you embrace that it’s your responsibility and job to take the lead in fixing the bad news you’ve delivered.”

Things can go wrong at work. It’s part of every business. Just don’t do a dump and run at your boss when a screw up happens. Be prepared to stick it out with them and find a way to remedy the mess. Your boss will thank you for it.

[Via LinkedIn Pulse]


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