10

Never Allow Your Boss to Be Surprised

In your professional life as in your private life, things don’t always go right. In fact, things can go very wrong, and when they do, obviously something needs to be done about it.

In the business world, responsibilities and resources include people, money, equipment, infrastructure, and technology. Breakdown can occur in any of these areas. People make mistakes, profits are down, equipment gets broken, infrastructure needs repair, and technology goes haywire.

This may be particularly problematic when a crisis occurs, and rest assured it will. A lot of bosses operate from a position of denial: “Can’t happen here.” “We’re too good.” “Not on my watch.” Actually, it’s not a matter of if but when a crisis will occur.

If you find or see a problem, you have some choices: run the other way, keep quiet about it, hope it goes away, or do what’s best and report it. To whom? To the next in charge so that that person and subsequent individuals of responsibility can take it up the chain of command.

Unfortunately, when it comes to telling the big boss, that process is often interrupted. Some attempt to solve the problem before the boss finds out. Others are simply afraid to let the boss know there’s a problem to begin with.

Smart bosses want to know when something is wrong. Only then can they do something about it.

Some organizations are fortunate enough to have risk or quality control officers, people who can serve as a conscience for an organization. Actually, people up and down the line should be looking for things that aren’t right, and when they find something wrong, there ought to be a willingness to take the problem to the top.

Not long after Colin Powell became chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I recognized that there was a growing problem that was about to erupt. It was a national security matter I felt he should know more about in terms of information, quite frankly, that reporters had shared with me. I drafted a memorandum that I sent down to the front office for his review and consideration.

The next day I got a call from his personal secretary to say that the chairman wanted to see me. I hastened down to the front office, only to be met by several staff members who had gathered in anticipation. One of them said, “I think you’re in trouble.” “Why so?” I asked. The answer was “I don’t think he liked what you had to say.” When I asked what he meant by that, he pointed to the upper right corner of the memo and said, “See the BS which the chairman has written here? He thinks it’s bullshit!”

I came to find out that that was the way the general indicated the disposition of correspondence. He would put the initials of the intended recipient where they could be plainly seen. Not knowing that at the moment, I entered the chairman’s office uncertain about my fate.

I said, “Sir, you wanted to see me about this?” I handed him the memo. He asked several questions beyond what I had put on paper. He thanked me for alerting him to the situation. He then said, “Keep an eye on this and keep me informed.” I was relieved to know that the initials stood for my name, not the boss’s wrath.

I didn’t take advantage of the outcome by becoming the town crier, but I was never afraid to let the boss know when something wrong was brewing. That way I was assured he would never be surprised.

Even if you can fix the problem, it’s still a problem, and most likely the boss deserves to know. A likely benefit that can occur from not allowing the boss to be surprised is that confidence in you is bound to grow. The relationship is destined to grow stronger. You might even become a confidant.

It’s not that you have to become a spy for the boss, but you could find that the boss will come to depend on you more and more. Actually, the true beneficiary is the organization at large.

In the old days a frequently heard saying was “He’s a company man.” It meant someone who was reliable, someone who was trustworthy, someone who always did the right thing. It was a term of endearment. Being a company man or a company woman in today’s world means the same thing. Part of that attribute is taking care of business, and part of taking care of business is never letting the boss be surprised.