Well, if you're in a bad boss-employee relationship, a new study finds simply owning your bad opinion like a boss could help you do a better job. No more faking it until you make it to quitting time; it's time for a little more transparency in your bad attitude!
Researchers at Michigan State University find that managers and employees stuck in poor work relationships can actually gain motivation when both sides know the score. As in, "We don't see eye-to-eye and we both know it, so let's just be accept our sorry state of workplace affairs and move on because we have work to do, and by the way, I'm always right."
From the official press release:
According to the MSU-led study of 280 employees and their bosses, motivation suffered when an employee believed he or she had a good relationship with the boss but the boss saw it differently. The finding held when the flip side was true and the boss believed the relationship was good but the subordinate did not. The two were surveyed separately, meaning the boss did not necessarily know how the employee felt about him or her, and vice versa.So, there you go! You just have to let the boss know that you know your working relationship isn't all that great. It could be the start of a new workday for both of you! By acknowledging the reality that major personality and/or work style differences exist, both of you could find greater motivation to do a better job.Interestingly, employee motivation was higher (and the employee was more apt to go above and beyond his or her basic job duties) when the worker and supervisor saw eye-to-eye about the relationship, even when it was poor.
Perhaps getting it all out in the open creates a new-found sense of mutual respect? Eh, I don't know; it takes courage to tell a boss that your working relationship is a daily exercise in exasperation, even if it's fairly obvious to everyone else in the office. Plus, there's always the risk that your boss might have a workplace epiphany and say, "You're right, we don't get along! It's been nice working with you, good luck with your job search!"
You'll both know where you stand by stating the obvious, however, which probably means you're standing in the middle of the office, passing each other verbally like two ships in the night as you debate who is right for the third time this week. Hey, nobody said the relationship was going to get better, just the work.
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