Last week an article caught my eye in the Dallas Morning News. The title was ‘Venting To Boss Can Hurt Your Career.”
I eagerly read it because some of my clients still feel compelled to vent to their managers and do not realize the potential danger they step into.
What happens after venting? You feel better, yet the boss will tag you as a whiner, trouble maker, immature or get the impression that you are not up to the job. Worse yet, they will put you on the list to “manage out”. Think about how many times you bring problems to the boss without solutions, vs. opportunities, ideas and positive news?
The boss will quickly get either a negative or positive impression of you based on your approach.
Find a safe place to vent, preferably someone who will listen and not judge you, yet who will hold you accountable to affect change and take action on the issues that are bugging you. A friend may listen, but not if it becomes a regular pattern of you dumping and them listening. Offer to hear them out with their work issues from time to time.
If you have a coach, all the better, coaches are trained to listen, help you see different perspectives, gain awareness on the situation, what role you may have in the situation and in the problem solving. If not, join a group who gets coaching from a certified group coach. It can be a way to get help for a smaller investment, connect with others, and learn in a politically safe environment. Save that precious time with your boss for showing your strengths, progress, issues you did solve and strategizing together on business initiatives.