How To Criticize Your Boss

Criticize your boss. Sounds risky. Criticizing your boss can be detrimental to your career, but, if done in the right way, can also be a valuable tool for professional growth. If you are considering criticizing your boss, it is ESSENTIAL to approach it carefully and professionally. If you fail to speak to your boss or manager in a professional way, you risk your reputation, or worse, possible termination. Here are some tips on how to provide constructive criticism to your boss.

Evaluate Your Relationship With Your Boss

Before you start to criticize, take a good and honest look at your relationship with your boss. Has your boss had a hard time accepting feedback in the past? Does your boss have a ‘my way or the highway’ attitude? If you know from the start that it is highly unlikely that your boss will accept your criticism in a constructive manner, it may not be the best time to have the conversation. Unless you plan to quit if things don’t change, it may be best to keep quiet until the relationship changes.

Time and Place

The right time and place is crucial in providing constructive criticism. Let’s start with the where. It is never acceptable to criticize your boss in public, on social media platforms or in front of other employees. Even if your boss accepts and welcomes criticism, doing it in an inappropriate environment can lead to detrimental consequences, up to termination. When providing feedback, meet with your boss one on one in a private setting.

Schedule a meeting with your boss and let him or her know the general topic of the conversation without getting into detail. If it is difficult to get on your boss’ calendar, ask to speak with him or her when the workload seems to be lighter. If your boss is stressed, it will be more difficult for him or her to accept the feedback.

Prepare an Introduction

The last thing you want to do its walk into your boss’ office and state what is on your mind. It may sound too harsh and can put your boss in defensive mode. It’s best to prepare an introduction and ease into the conversation. The introduction does not have to be formal, but more of a friendly conversation. A good introduction will start with thanking your boss for taking the time to meet with you and that you really appreciate their openness to hearing your thoughts.

Start on a Positive Note

After thanking your boss for the opportunity to meet, start the conversation on a positive note. Acknowledge your boss’ strengths to set a constructive tone. The purpose of starting on a positive note is to let her know you are there for improvement and collaboration, not to point out flaws. If you can, provide a complement that is related to the criticism. For example, if your boss always interrupts you, let her know that you love that she values her team’s opinions and ideas.

The Criticism

When stating your criticism, make sure you provide as many details and examples as possible. Stating a general flaw without concrete examples, will not end in a good conversation. Stick to the facts rather than making personal attacks.

• Time and place – start by stating when and where the behavior occurred;
• What you saw/heard – state what you saw or heard; and
• How it made you feel – let you boss know how you were affected by the behavior or how her idea may make others feel.

I vs. You

When providing feedback to your boss, try to use more “I” statements than “you” statements. “You” statements can make the conversation feel more like an attack and confrontational. By using “I” statements your boss will get a better understanding of how her behavior has affected you.

Offer Solutions

Don’t just point out the problem. Instead, offer a constructive solution. This will demonstrate your commitment to finding resolutions and shows that you are invested in your job, your boss and the team.

The goal of providing criticism should be to improve the working relationship and contribute to a positive and productive work environment. Remember to approach the conversation with a mindset of collaboration and improvement rather than confrontation.

This article is intended for informational purposes only. It provides general information and is not intended and should not be construed as professional advice. The author is not your attorney, accountant, financial planner or any other professional and no professional-client relationship is created. We do not represent that the information provided is accurate or up-to-date as laws and regulations are always changing. If you have an issue that requires professional help, you should contact the appropriate professional to help you on your specific set of facts. Please read the Terms and Conditions for additional information.