DEAR DEIDRE: How do I break the news to my boss that all of his employees dislike him?
I’m a 42-year-old woman and after working for a marketing company for seven years I was appointed as a union representative.
My boss is 57 and started with the company six months ago.
He's a nice man but it’s fair to say he has a strict and stern way of managing, something our team isn’t used to.
Since he started there’s been constant chatter around the office and countless people have approached me to complain about him.
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They’ve called him stiff, and boring, and said he takes things too seriously. Even outside of the office I constantly hear people talking badly about him.
While I know it’s my job to pass this information on, the last thing I want to do is hurt his feelings. He’s just trying to do his job and their complaints are personal.
How do I approach this?
DEIDRE SAYS: As these complaints sound personal rather than involving any serious workplace issues, this doesn’t sound like strictly union business.
However if you want to help improve the working environment this can be dealt with in a kinder way.
Instead of detailing exactly what has been said, perhaps you can give him more constructive feedback.
Explain the company ethos and suggest he adjusts his more authoritative approach for better results and relationships with his team.
Perhaps you can help him find ways to work with his staff to create a better work environment.
