You need to air grievances with your manager.

When a company embarks on a Lean journey, there is a lot of learning that goes on. This includes managers. Some may have experience at creating a continuous improvement culture, but many do not. They may make some bad decisions that affect your job. How you approach him or her to talk about the problem you are facing goes a long way into determining whether your boss is on your side in solving the problem or if he sees you as a complainer who is part of the problem.

Problem

You need to air grievances with your manager.

How this affects you

Your boss’s decisions have had a big impact on your job. You want him to understand how they are affecting you.

Action to Take

Don’t ambush your boss in the hallway with complaints when he is running off to an important meeting. Instead, ask to schedule a private time to discuss your concerns. Once that request is granted, plan ahead and be prepared with no more than two or three specific points that you want to address. Blasting your boss with a series of grievances will likely put him on the defensive and make him tune out.

During your planning phase, consider whether you just want your manager to know how you feel or if you want to present a specific action you would like him to take to resolve a problem. (Remember—don’t complain. Pure complaints seldom bring any resolution.) When you present problems and offer solutions to your boss, include supporting data. Speak your manager’s language in terms of workplace satisfaction, continuous improvement, safety, quality, and customer needs. Help him help you.

During the meeting, discuss your biggest concern first. If you don’t prioritize what is most important to you, you may run out of time—or your boss’s attention. Be careful to make sure that you are actually addressing the problem that is really bothering you. Sometimes, people tend to use a more acceptable, more presentable problem to cover for the one that is really getting under their skin. They expect one solution to resolve both.

For instance, let’s say you are upset because you no longer have reason to visit the mailroom to retrieve mail and therefore have less contact with your friends throughout the day. Rather than address the real issue—the fact that you miss the social interaction with your coworkers along the way—you decide to present a more acceptable side of the problem. You tell your boss that your legs get cramped from the increased number of hours at your desk. Unfortunately, the resolution might actually solve only the cramping problem—perhaps a more ergonomically correct office. Your boss would believe, incorrectly, that your issue had been resolved, even though you are still unhappy. 

Why this works

The Why this Works section is only available in print copies of Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean?