How to praise a new boss without sounding like criticism of the old one?

Question

A few months ago my team was split. Half the team stayed with the old manager, with a new team manager being designated to my half.

Things went fine, and last week in a team meeting with the boss' boss asked for feedback from each team member (including the new manager, that spoke last).

I went first, and praised the new workflows implemented, and how the new boss changed dynamics and those effects on productivity.

But in (introspect) retrospect, it might've sounded like I was criticizing the old boss; They were not mentioned in my feedback though.

Next time it happens, how should I present my positive evaluation of the new boss so it does not allow it to be interpreted like criticism of the old one?

Answer 1

Don't make comparisons

Avoid talking about how things have changed. Don't compare the way things are now to the way they used to be. Instead, find positive things to say about your new manager that don't refer back to your previous manager.

Avoid saying things like, "the new manager is a real breath of fresh air." Instead say something like, "I really appreciate the new manager's positive attitude."

Don't criticize the way things were done previously when talking about how things are done now. Instead of saying, "the work flow is much more efficient now," you could say something like, "New-Manager has been an awesome addition to the team. We really value his creative problem solving."

Praise the new manager's perspective, or his/her skills or approach. All of these things will communicate the same types of improvements, without throwing the old manager under the bus.

Answer 2

I'm not sure you can. You didn't mention him or the old way as being explicitly bad, but the new way is just better. If productivity has increased, there's no getting around that.

The real concern is what will the boss's boss do with the information? If the old boss is any good, he should take the criticism and be concerned with improving in this area. He obviously didn't come up with a better solution.

You gave an honest answer. I hope it was an honest question.