3 Things You Talk About Behind Your Boss’ Back

You are always talking about the boss behind her back. Since she is the source of your short-term economic future, you don’t want to upset the apple cart. Here are three topics you probably don’t talk about in front of her.

Problem Children

Everybody knows Rick is a problem, but the boss hasn’t taken care of it. No one on your team goes to the boss to express their opinion, so you talk about it among yourselves. Rick was transferred in from another division when they went belly up, and it wasn’t long before everyone realized the company dumped him on your staff.

Your boss can’t do anything because Rick is related to a board member who takes your boss out on a yacht every year at the Cannes Film Festival.

Company Maneuvers

Is the company being sold? Shut down? Dissolved?

Rumors fly through the building every day as the trade press publishes breathless update after update about your firm. However, the boss doesn’t mention a thing, merrily going about their day as if nothing is happening. At lunch, you ask a coworker, “What’s wrong with that guy? He acts like he doesn’t have a care in the world. This ship is going down, and he’s in the main galley ordering steak tartare and $1000 bottles of wine.”

Meeting Reality

Your boss likes to pump people up at meetings, often glossing over important realities. You’ll never know what she really thinks about important decisions because everything is supposedly peachy keen.

That’s why you meet with Gian after the meeting, asking him, “Does this boss know her assistant does all the work for her while she is at the salon getting her hair blown out for $500 a pop?”