Has your supervisor ever given you negative feedback that seems a bit … ironic?

He arrives at work just in time for lunch, but complains that you’re consistently tardy.

She books every “working lunch” at the most expensive restaurant, and accuses you of being careless with the budget.

He misspells words in every email, but claims you don’t pay attention to detail.

She instructs you to be more independent, then chastises you for not keeping her in the loop on every detail.

It stands to reason that you may have a few choice words in mind when reacting to such input from your “mentor”.  How do you respond to this ironic feedback without calling your boss out in front of the entire office?  How do you address the irony while remaining on your supervisor’s good side?  Below is one method for addressing such an office quandary:

Turn the tables and ask your supervisor how they handle this very same challenge.  No need to insult him or her – but offer up some “360 degree feedback” aimed at helping your boss develop his or her own skills while also stroking the old ego.

For example:  “In my experience as a member of your team, I have noticed that you often book meetings at expensive locations which helps to impress our clients.  Can you share with me how you cut back in other areas to allow for this indulgence while still keeping the overall budget in mind?”

Has your boss ever delivered ironic feedback to you?  Please comment on this blog to share your story!

This entry was posted on Monday, July 13th, 2009 at 5:18 PM and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.