Can we talk about how leaders handle bad news from their teams

I noticed a lot of VPs in my old company, like at the Denver office, would just say 'thanks for the update' when someone brought them a problem... then do nothing. It kills trust. I started asking for one next step in the same meeting, even if it's just 'I'll email finance by Friday'. Anyone else have a simple fix for this?

2 comments

2 Comments

emerydixon1mo ago

My old boss was a master of the 'thanks for the update' ghosting. I started bringing a notebook and just STARING at him until he said something real. Awkward but it worked.

wyatt7711mo ago

Honestly thought that was too aggressive at first. Saw a coworker try it though, and the boss actually started giving real feedback. Changed my whole view on calling out that kind of empty reply. Sometimes you gotta force the conversation. The quiet stare is a powerful tool.