How to handle a superior who is an 'information sink'

Question

How do you handle a situation where you have provided useful information/ideas to your immediate boss, because you know/feel that information would be of interest to their boss, and you come to learn that it has just disappeared into a black hole?

Answer 1

Always make your important information exchanges over email. This provides a document you and those involved with the issue something to refer to and makes sure that there is no black hole. If the exchange happens in person I send a confirmation email summarizing the important details of what was discussed.

I CC all people directly involved/impacted unless there is a specific reason not to. My intent is never to break the chain of command but to ensure that the information gets disseminated properly with out requiring my manager to do additional work.

Any time the matter is sensitive, and is not proper to share on my own, I will include an action item in the email to let me know how to go forward, asking if who I should share the information with, and/or request confirmation that this is how they understand it, as the best fits the scenario. If nothing is returned I will followup, sometimes including my plans(that generally include relevant dissemination) to go forward unless I hear otherwise. The goal is not to cut out your direct supervisor but to help the business in the best way possible.

Answer 2

This all very much depends on what the culture is like at your organization. If you have the more informal work culture where it is acceptable for you to step into the office of your bosses boss and just talk about what is on your mind then this is what I would suggest.

If you have a more rigid command structure or if your bosses boss is not easily approachable however this behavior may not be acceptable or viewed as subverting your bosses authority.

Either way you are telling your immediate boss what you feel is important information and you assume that this information didn't flow up the command chain. When the two of them have status meetings together you have no way of knowing exactly what they are talking about. The possibility exists that this information was shared.

• If the information was shared it might have been noted and accounted for future plans.

• It might have been ignored and deemed irrelevant by your bosses boss based on information that you and/or your immediate boss is not privy to.

• Your immediate boss may not have shared it because he/she deemed it irrelevant based on information that you may not privy to.

The bottom line is that you should start with a conversation, one with your immediate boss and let him/her know your concerns. Do not be accusatory, simply inquisitive. Avoid confrontational words like You do/don't or Your and instead use informative words like I feel or My perspective.

Answer 3

Much here is described a bit vague, so I do not know if my ideas fit your situation.

Do you have a regular meeting (in private)? Ask him why he did not pass the information. Maybe he has a plausible rationale for its filtering.

Have you a canteen? Few details could be discussed at the table when "accidentally" sits next to the next boss.

Do you fear a disaster in a particular project? Distribute the information in writing, for example e-mail. No one can accuse unto thee later, you said nothing. (But in that case, you lost anyway)

Perhaps you could you be more specific on your situation.

Answer 4

Bruce Webster coined the phrase "thermocline of truth" to describe situations like this. Eliminating the "information sink" requires political and managerial help from above the point where truth stops flowing uphill.