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Complaints Fairness Communication Listening

One of the more vocal employees who work for me complained about me to my manager. He said I am a dictator, and morale is terrible. My manager read the riot act to me. When I tried to defend myself, he would not listen. Some of the other employees got wind of this and told my manager I am doing a good job and not to listen to the complainer. Since then, I have heard nothing from my manager. Should I let it go or say something?



The only thing that should be let go is your manager. His actions indicate that he lacks not only managerial skills, but common sense as well.

When a manager hears complaints about one of his or her employees, the next step is not to start issuing warnings, reprimands, and threats. The only logical step is to investigate the matter.

Not only was your manager wrong to accuse you without knowing the facts, he was also wrong by failing to apologize after the truth came out.

You should not ignore this matter. It is obviously upsetting you, and this distress can interfere with your performance, satisfaction, and even your health. You should meet with your manager on a businesslike basis and give him all of the facts in this situation.

Be sure he understands that you would like to have two-way communication with him whenever he hears complaints or concerns about you, as this type of communication is critical for departmental success. There can be any number of circumstances in which managers can learn from their employees, and hopefully this will be one.





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