Complaining to Boss’s Boss
Jack Welch, former CEO of GE Electric, answers questions in Business Week. Few weeks ago, someone asked a question that many people ask in their career. Jack’s answer is classic, as always.
Question:
My team has been forced to put up with an incompetent manager for 2 years. I spoke to the regional head and was told they were “working on it”. That was six months ago. I don’t want to be seen as a whiner, but I am thinking of going to the CEO to get some action. Your opinion?
Answer:
Only some poor, naive souls do that! The fate of the people who go to their boss’s boss to complain is so well-known. The answer is “NO!”, unless you have a big safety net or another job in hand. End runs backfire 80% to 90% of the time. Few bosses reward people who sneak around the organizational chain of command.
Moreover, most companies are painfully aware of bad bosses and struggle to find a way to force them out. Shoving that point in their face won’t make you a hero; it will make you an annoyance.
If you dislike you boss so much that you are ready to burst, you really have only two foolproof choices: Wait it out or walk out. Most end runs only end you.
