Timeline for Boss says I'm stubborn when I don't agree
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
16 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2021 at 15:59 | comment | added | Koenigsberg | Everyone needs to read How To Make Friends And Influence People. It isn't always about what you are trying to say, it's also important how you say it. In this particular case, the key might have been to lead the boss to the conclusion, that it is in their interest to protect the company from liability and workers from harm, until they themselves suggest a better safety measure. This is not guaranteed to work though. For what it's worth, the unprofessional one was very clearly the boss. Berating someone in front of colleagues is as unprofessional as it gets. | |
| Jul 3, 2021 at 14:38 | comment | added | Wastrel | @Kat Yes, but it could cost you your job. | |
| Jul 2, 2021 at 15:27 | comment | added | Kat | @Wastrel the company should be liable if someone gets hurt. Nothing tricky there, there's no need to be loyal to a company which doesn't care if it hurts people. | |
| Jul 2, 2021 at 14:44 | comment | added | Wastrel | "Of course it is integral that you document the safety issue to cover your ass in case of a lawsuit." As an employee, the OP could not be found personally liable, but documenting the issue could assist someone in holding the company liable. This puts the OP in a difficult position between individual integrity and company loyalty. | |
| Jul 2, 2021 at 11:09 | vote | accept | E.Aigle | ||
| Jul 2, 2021 at 7:13 | comment | added | A. L | The "I think it's unsafe", can sound very pompous to people who don't want to take any criticism. If you change it to something like "how much will a lawsuit cost if one of the workers are injured due to a safety issue?", is threatening without actually directing it at anyone. And of course if they push back and say something like "oh, that would never happen", make it more direct to them with a "okay, so you're willing to sign it off and take responsibility?" | |
| Jul 1, 2021 at 14:31 | comment | added | Techlead | The remark about changing from negative "blocking" language to positive "what about" language is very important. Avoid "Yeah but" and if you can provide a solution with your observed risks even better. | |
| Jul 1, 2021 at 10:27 | comment | added | Hobbamok | I'd also try to get his downplaying of the whole thing on some sort of record. | |
| Jul 1, 2021 at 10:00 | comment | added | enhzflep | Top marks for the tactic of changing of changing your approach. Long ago I found that outwardly telling others they're wrong leads to much unhappiness. Instead of doing that, I worked out how to ask questions that were designed to elicit a response that said what I'd previously have said myself. It started making me look helpful and allowed the other person to save face by coming up with the solution all by themselves. No-one ever let on that they'd worked out what I was playing at. | |
| Jun 30, 2021 at 22:50 | comment | added | throx | The risk based language is very good. It is impersonal and talks in a language that allows for different levels of risk. Engineering is a risk based discipline, so learning to deal with what is and isn't acceptable, with appropriate documentation is an extremely valuable learning. | |
| Jun 30, 2021 at 20:55 | comment | added | Tashus | @Boolean I agree. That or email the video to the legal department "by mistake". ;) | |
| Jun 30, 2021 at 17:40 | comment | added | user105492 | As an additional point, if the boss continues to not take the concern seriously, I would consider escalating this to your boss’s boss (your boss 2 levels up) | |
| Jun 30, 2021 at 16:09 | comment | added | McAden | +1 on the difference between language like "I think this is unsafe" => "Is the risk of XYZ tolerable?" it changes drastically how you come across in several ways. One of which is that the former CAN come across as being about you or complaining, the latter can come across as being outside of you and comes across as more objective. | |
| Jun 30, 2021 at 11:22 | comment | added | Joe Stevens | 100% agree. When I saw the title I assumed this was a standard workplace disagreement. A legitimate health and safety concern changes the picture entirely... | |
| Jun 30, 2021 at 8:43 | comment | added | DrMrstheMonarch | Oh the change of vocab from subjective opinions to monetarily risks is a good one! (Sad, but good!) | |
| Jun 30, 2021 at 7:56 | history | answered | jwsc | CC BY-SA 4.0 |