 |
 |
   |
|
| Home | Magazine | For Employers | Contact Us | FAQ | |
|
|
|
|||||||
 
My boss seems capable of only giving backhanded compliments. For example, he'll say: "Great work … you're really improving," or "I like how you handled that … it was much better than the last time." What's going on here? Sincerely, Thanks, but … Dear Thanks: There are a few things that could be happening: • You struggled previously
on those tasks he is now complimenting you on.
You really have improved, and your boss wants to
show that he sees your improvement. (Granted, it's
not necessarily the best way to do it, but at least
he's giving you positive reinforcement.)
• Your boss wants to
give praise, but can't stop himself from offering
criticism at the same time, e.g., "I know you didn't
do this very well before – yes, I can see
you've improved – but I have to remind you
about your previous lackluster performance."
• You're still doing
a terrible job, but your boss isn't comfortable
giving criticism. Thus, he says something positive
before offering what he thinks is clear criticism,
e.g., "you're really improving" means keep
improving.
• You've always done
a great job, and your boss is just playing with
your mind. Regardless of what is really going on, your boss is your boss. Unless you decide to quit, or he decides to quit, you're stuck with him. But take comfort in that he's complimenting you at all! Some bosses don't give any feedback – positive or negative. ♦We're now having some of our other writers help out answering the "Dear Cindy" questions. Enjoy! Discuss This ArticleHave something you'd like to say? Tell us what you think! Read and post comments for this article. Like this answer? Read more questions! Browse our archive of 1,246 career questions. Also, see our master index of all MedHunters articles! Find a JobChoose your career: MedHunters is the world's biggest healthcare job board. Our job directory has 17,003 jobs with 2,377 hospitals and other direct employers. We want you to find your next job on MedHunters. Need Help? Call us at 1-888-884-8242, email us at info@medhunters.com or sign up now. Do you have a career-related question? Email us at: DearCindy@medhunters.com. |
|
