When the Boss Doesn't Listen to Your Ideas

I’d like to thank JJ-LAPP for organizing a webinar where I talked on The Mindset for a Better Plant: Five Hacks for a Problem-Solving Engineer. In the Q&A section, I was asked: What if you’re a new employee and your boss is the type who dismisses your ideas?

That’s a great question. You may want to try the following:

First, earn the right to be heard. When you’re new, you are still establishing your credibility. So do it the hard way: you must deserve it. Don’t just do your job well, but deliver more than expected. That way, you are building goodwill which you can hope will translate to mutual respect and openness with your boss.

Also, at the start, do more listening than talking. Your boss expects you to learn the ropes, likely on your own. Don’t come across as a know-it-all. As people see you as someone who listens to them, they may reciprocate by listening to you.

Second, try to find out why your boss behaves that way. I had a boss who never commended me for what I did right and kept scolding me for what I did wrong. Not only that, he never taught me how to be better. It was so bad that I was even tempted to resign.

Later, I met his ex-boss. I discovered that the ex-boss was so old-school that he believed in management by intimidation. I realized that he had mentored my boss and my boss must have thought that was the best way how to handle people. Knowing that psychology helped me put up with his grouchiness until he retired. Mercifully, he was replaced by a much kinder boss!

Third, suggest a small improvement to your boss’s solutions. I advise newbies not to implement too much change at once. Change is often painful; for you to flip everything upside-down would cause an outcry. Thus, listen to your boss’s instructions and look for a good point that you can make better.

For example, your boss tells you, “Defects from Machine X has been increasing. I think Component ABC has been worn out. Go replace it.” Instead of complying without comment, say, “Yes, I think there’s something wrong with ABC, too. I’d like to suggest that after replacing it, we do a weekly check with a vibration tester. I’ve observed too much play on the overall mechanism, thus 123 is wearing out faster.”

Now if the boss likes the idea, go do it. If he brushes it aside, keep trying.

You know you’re succeeding when your boss shifts, slowly but surely, from being autocratic to participatory to delegating.

·        Autocratic: “There’s a problem. Do this.”

·        Participatory: “There’s a problem. What do you think is the reason?”

·        Delegating: “There’s a problem. Go fix it.”

When you have attained the third stage, you know that you have the explicit trust of your boss. He sees that you have a good head on your shoulders. He expects you to do the right thing.

Take note that I never said this is an easy or overnight process. But it is the best way to change how your boss looks at you. Start humble and allow God to exalt you. Along the way, keep learning!

Bio: Nelson T. Dy is an author, speaker and trainer on career, relationship, and spirituality issues. His day job is being an Assistant Vice-President running two factories for a well-known beverage conglomerate. Follow him at Linkedin as he continues to share his insights through articles such as the one you just enjoyed.