by Rebecca Rosas, Ph.D, ALMA Board Member and Vice President of Strategic Planning, Texmark Chemicals, Inc.
“I've got to keep the knucklehead stuff off his desk, and this is worse.” — Leo McGarry, The West Wing
This thought has filled the head of many an employee who wonders how much to tell his/her boss/supervisor. The thought of the “knucklehead” criteria ought to pose a decision for employees wondering how much information to give their supervisor and how to convey that information. Working remotely even complicates this.
My boss is the president of our company, and the fact that sticks out is that there are a lot of things that go across his desk. At the start of the pandemic, I began working remotely and would supply a work diary email at day’s end with the highlights. As the work diary evolved, I would also include, besides highlights, items that are coming up as well as items I needed his take on.
I have tried to keep the “knucklehead” doctrine front and center, as I want my boss handling the important and necessary business of the company free of distraction. By the same token, I try to make sure that he has all the information necessary to make an informed decision. It’s a fine line to try to keep the information overload to a minimum. We do talk on the phone several times a week and he does correspond by email. We have weekly staff meetings where we can add items to the agenda and have discussions as a group.
A lot about the information flow depends on how hands-on/hands-off your boss is. A hands-off supervisor tends to be kept informed as needed or on a scheduled basis, but a hands-on supervisor will require more and frequent communication. There are pros and cons of both and how their supervisory styles will vary depends on the job.
One thing that is key is that in the case of a situation/issue that is tantamount to the company, frequent and concise communication is necessary. Here, the communication is concise and factual.
In summary, it doesn’t hurt to have the conversation with your immediate supervisor to keep the “knucklehead” stuff off his/her desk. It makes room for those issues you want your supervisor to know about and focus on.
A new column from members of the Association of Laboratory Managers will provide personal tips on how to navigate leadership in today’s demanding laboratory environment. Stay tuned for more next month. For free ALMA events and webinars about managing a laboratory organization, visit the ALMA website: www.labmanagers.org/events/
About the Author: Rebecca Rosas, Ph.D., is Board Member of the Association of Laboratory Managers (ALMA) and Vice President of Strategic Planning at Texmark Chemicals, Inc. She received her Ph.D. in chemistry at Texas A&M University and has worked on new product development and SDS/MSDS systems in addition to serving on the management team. She is also a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and American Society for Quality (ASQ) and chairs the Houston Area Lab Managers Association.