LoveSoDeep Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 In the company I work for it is common around annual review time for manager to ask for feedback on other co-workers. All in all I think this can be a great practice. However, I had a problem recently with my manager (at the time) requesting negative feedback about me from others and then using it against me to put me on probation and cause a bunch of problems. She isn't my manager anymore but she still manages others on our team and she has asked me for feedback on one of them. The e-mail she sent with the request was very PC and might be the suggested verbiage for such requests or what she gets from others. It asks for specific feedback using the criteria we all use in our reviews. It did not specifically ask for negative feedback. My problem is after what she did to me I just don't feel comfortable giving her feedback on anyone...good or bad. I'm afraid she will twist anything positive I say and use it against my co-worker and I honestly have nothing negative to say about her. Yes, I could send a response with all positive comments but I really am afraid it won't be used as it is intended. So I really want to not provide feedback. ...I'm just not sure how to do it. If I just blow off her request will it reflect negatively on me? She isn't my boss so basically she's asking me a favor. Can I just decline? Link to comment
happpybear Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 I would just say that you find your coworker a pleasure to work with and have no complaints, and leave it at that. Is there someone above your boss that you can go to if you do have a complaint? Someone that is actually mature enough to not use crap against people and handle legit complaints like a capable manager should? Link to comment
LoveSoDeep Posted January 29, 2014 Author Share Posted January 29, 2014 I would just say that you find your coworker a pleasure to work with and have no complaints, and leave it at that. Is there someone above your boss that you can go to if you do have a complaint? Someone that is actually mature enough to not use crap against people and handle legit complaints like a capable manager should? I honestly do not have a single complaint against the co-worker I have been asked about...but if I did I wouldn't give it to her boss only because of the experience I had with her already. I now report directly to my old bosses current boss (wow that's a mouth full). So we have the same boss and I can certainly go to our boss if I have a complaint. Right now I'm not complaining....I just don't feel comfortable offering my feedback to this specific manager. I know the co-worker in question probably feels the same way after the problems I had, we both lost respect for this manager...unfortunately she still has to work under her. Part of me doesn't want to open the door for my old manager to say negative things by not saying anything good. Would it be weird or inappropriate if I copy our boss...or blind copy her so at least someone has record of the great things I have to say about my co-worker and know how they were intended to be used? Link to comment
Jennifer89 Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 I agree with happybear, the best response would be to say something very positive and short/to the point about your coworker. Something that can not be twisted. Your boss sounds very immature. Link to comment
blueidealist24 Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Part of me doesn't want to open the door for my old manager to say negative things by not saying anything good. Would it be weird or inappropriate if I copy our boss...or blind copy her so at least someone has record of the great things I have to say about my co-worker and know how they were intended to be used? I think that would be a good idea, then your boss will know that your coworker is doing a good job too. If anyone asks why you copied YOUR boss, you could just say you wanted both of them to know how competent your coworker is.. I assume your boss and that coworker would have SOME interaction at some point, so that wouldn't seem too odd. Link to comment
LoveSoDeep Posted January 30, 2014 Author Share Posted January 30, 2014 I think that would be a good idea, then your boss will know that your coworker is doing a good job too. If anyone asks why you copied YOUR boss, you could just say you wanted both of them to know how competent your coworker is.. I assume your boss and that coworker would have SOME interaction at some point, so that wouldn't seem too odd. Yes, my current boss is technically her bosses boss. We report through the same....it's just for her there's another level in between) and I used to be where she is now. I think you're right if anyone questions it I just say I wanted our boss to know I think she's great. Link to comment
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