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Tell Your Boss Anything

41 pointsby maxcameronalmost 13 years ago

14 comments

aculveralmost 13 years ago
Don't do this, unless your boss has specifically opted into a service like this.<p>First, if you need to use a service like this to get stuff across to your boss, this is my feedback to <i>you</i>:<p>Fix yourself (specifically the issue you have bringing stuff up with your boss) <i>or</i> (if they're the reason you feel like you can't talk to them about something) find a new boss. No amount of anonymous feedback is going to fix a poor relationship with your boss. And it's probably not going to fix the other stuff, either.<p>Anonymous feedback is terrible:<p>- It's too easy for a manager to disregard or mentally down-vote as being from a bad apple or someone they don't see eye-to-eye with.<p>- Without being able to put your feedback in context of who you are, where you're coming from, and what your relationship is with them, it could also make what you're saying a lot more hurtful than you mean it to be. For example, they might think it was from someone else. And maybe your feedback, coming from someone else they work more closely with, would really hit a nerve for some reason.<p>- It also seems unthoughtful to deliver anonymous feedback to someone without giving them some way of addressing the feedback, perhaps giving you some feedback of their own, should they think the feedback was flawed in some way.<p>Instead, we need to be having real conversations. If those aren't working, maybe you're in the wrong place.
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empikaalmost 13 years ago
It is a shame that so many people are unable to have conversations with their boss as adults, no matter how good/bad the feedback is.<p>Email is never a good way to have difficult conversations. Too many wires get crossed and meaning is extracted where there was no intent.<p>It would be nice if there were some guides on the page about how to have these conversations in person. 'Crucial Conversations' is a great starting place <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucial-Conversations-Tools-Talking-Stakes/dp/0071401946" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucial-Conversations-Tools-Talking-...</a>
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jsherryalmost 13 years ago
360 feedback is good. But if you want to use this to remain anonymous, then this excerpt from their "Promises" section doesn't instill the greatest level of confidence:<p>"If you do not use insults, verbal abuse or foul language, we will do everything in our power to keep your identity hidden. In other words, don't be mean and we'll have your back."
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truskoalmost 13 years ago
I worked on something similar but more generic - <a href="http://www.complainator.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.complainator.com/</a><p>The idea is that for example you like service provider (gym, dentist), you want to keep coming back, but you want to let them know about something that's bugging you - noisy music, messy office, toilets etc. I got feedback from some people where their issues were resolved.<p>When it comes to bosses ... I just can't imagine it working unless you have 10 or more people on the team. You can't discuss particular situations because your identity would be revealed. But that's me, I wish you good luck
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Ganthoralmost 13 years ago
While the design seems fairly nice, the idea is nothing new.<p>Rypple, founded in 2008, started out with an anonymous feedback application built for the enterprise (albeit, I don't think the messaging was quite as forward as it is for this service, I think it required the manager opting in). Rypple eventually pivoted into a performance management cum next-gen performance review app, but the anonymous feedback feature is still a component. It was acquired by Salesforce.com last year.<p>I love the idea of anonymous feedback, it's one of the aspects of Rypple that initially attracted me to work at the company (I used to work at Rypple).<p>However, I'm not even sure Rypple was the first mover in the corporate anonymous feedback space, there's been quite a few similar services over the years. I think an app with just this feature, given how there's been consolidation in the HCM industry and providers now often offer a full suite of HR/performance management tools nowadays, is unlikely to achieve major success. That said, there's still a ton of small startups in the space that have similar ideas to Happiily.
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prezjordanalmost 13 years ago
I thought about developing a piece of software for businesses to use in-house for employees to ask questions, anonymously. In the end, however, I decided that even though you would be "anonymous," there's a lot of guessing of who is actually asking the questions (especially new hires, people who ask a lot of questions, etc).
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pejapejaalmost 13 years ago
I tried it out, the boss have to pay to read the message. Kind of smart way to get some income but from the bosses' point of view, having to pay money to get a bitter message will just make the day for them...
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dansoalmost 13 years ago
Unless this becomes viral and ubiquitously popular, I imagine the average boss will perceive this bizarre mode of communication as being passive-aggressive/somewhat-creepy, and thus will instinctively have a dismissive attitude towards whatever feedback is sent through it. At the very least, he/she will spend a significant amount of time mentally sussing out clues to, "Who the hell sent this?"
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wizawuzaalmost 13 years ago
What if you're the only person that reports to your boss?
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pyoungalmost 13 years ago
I could see HR throwing a fit if they ever found out that an employee used a non-approved third party service to voice an official complaint.<p>Interesting idea, but tread lightly. A better idea would be to implement this as enterprise SAAS. That way employees wouldn't have to worry about HR policy.
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manishsharanalmost 13 years ago
This is a bad idea. Email is simply the a horribly ineffective way of communicating with your boss , especially for sensitive matters. Instead treat your boss to coffee/tea/beer and bring up whatever is bugging you. The worst thing you can do it to involve a third party.
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mmahemoffalmost 13 years ago
If employees have to resort to anonymous feedback, something's broken. A good use for this website is for companies to monitor any traffic coming from this domain, and treat it as a red flag.
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huwralmost 13 years ago
Nice try, my boss.
vtryalmost 13 years ago
Find a better job. The job market for tech people is booming.