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Writer's pictureGary Hughes

Holding your boss to account

Does your manager not keep their promises, not make decisions, say one thing and do another, or not stand up for the right things?


Doctors hands consoling patient

It can drive you mad and cause big problems, but how do you hold your boss to account when they’re the GP Partner, PCN CD or Practice Manager?

 

It’s a difficult situation, where the only obvious options are to continue to suffer in silence or leave. Neither will solve the problem of course, so why not hold your boss to account.

 

Approached carefully it can be done, you’ll feel the benefit and so will they, and they might even thank you.

 

So how do you hold those in charge to account?

 

🔶 Start with a positive relationship

It will be easier for you, and better received by them, if your relationship is a good one. Do everything to build a good rapport, have regular contact and take any opportunities to show you can solve problems, if it makes them look good as well as you then even better. The aim is to build a positive relationship that makes it easier to have tough conversations.

 

🔷 Prepare for a hard conversation

When your boss’s failings are causing problems, the time has come to have the tough conversation. Accept that it is necessary, but it's likely to be uncomfortable and awkward. You also need to hide any of your own anger or resentment towards them.

 

It’s not a talk to be done in passing or opportunistically, so ask to book a time when you can have their undivided attention, and they will have yours. Before you begin be clear in your own mind what you need, and also be aware that your boss may not realise their behaviour is causing problems.

 

🔶 Get talking

Start on a positive note and keep the conversation polite. Be assertive and make it clear what you need in order to do what’s expected of you. The key here is to make it about you and what you’re unable to do, rather than them and what they’ve not done. Let your boss know how they can help you, and the benefit that will bring to them and the organisation.

 

Emphasise the importance of what you need, by asking when they think they can do it by, and do they see any problems of delivering what you need. Finally, ask when would be good to follow it up with them, or say you’ll follow up after a specific amount of time.

 

🔷 Follow up

Even if you're holding the boss to account you want to be seen as reliable, so make sure you do follow up when you said you would.

 

Holding someone to account who is also someone you report to is never easy, but it can still be done if tackled in the right way. You might need more than one approach to get what you need but the difficult conversations are far better than the endless frustrations.

 

Give it a try!


 

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