Would your boss do this?

Work Teaching English in Taiwan
1

It’s good to have a positive work environment.

I was assigned to direct kids in practice for an upcoming Christmas play. I had not really been involved with any writing, practices, or planning for the play when my boss gave me instruction to have the kids practice and to help them be more expressive.

Essentially, there was a lot of chaos. Other teachers who were supposed to help the kids practice left the practice area without notice while I was organizing the kids so that they could practice in groups that had lines together. So, when it was time to tell the kids to go split up and go with another teacher for practice, I was left with the whole group. Then my boss came back and said he thought my plan to break the kids up into groups would end up costing more time than it was worth, so I should just run through the play from begining to end. (It was about a 1 hour practice)

We went through the play, and I gave some direction to the students-- how to stand to face the audience, how and when to exit and enter, etc. Things got better, but overall the practice did not get the kids to the point of readiness that they would need to be at.

Afterwards, the other boss/manager expressed her displeasure with how things were done. I got defensive about it.

Well, here’s what my boss (the one who had been running the play and gave me the assignment to direct the practice) did:

He wrote me a note apologizing. He thought he should have communicated what he wanted of me better and told me not to let the criticism get me down.

I felt much better after that. And I felt good about my boss, and want to share it.

Some bosses are willing to take responsibility when it’s pretty clear that they did something improperly. But here’s a case where it would be EASY to pass the blame to me. Not only that, but I didn’t confront him or anything. He just decided to write the note for my benefit without having to do so to save face or whatever.

I’ve worked for good people before, but I don’t think many would apologize when they don’t have to.

Thought I’d share.

2

Wow. That is highly unusual.

3

Thanks for posting, R. Daneel. Yes, that’s a really good thing your boss did. Bosses everywhere should take note! Apologising doesn’t have to imply that one is incompetent or weak or any of those kinds of things. It can just be a good decent human thing to do.

4

Great post. It is rare (but nice) when a boss can admit that he or she is in the wrong.

Just out of curiousity, is your boss Taiwanese or a foreigner?

5

[quote=“fee”]Great post. It is rare (but nice) when a boss can admit that he or she is in the wrong.

Just out of curiousity, is your boss Taiwanese or a foreigner?[/quote]
Foreigner. But never got an apology note from anyone in a manager’s position back in the US, either.

6

My boss (Taiwanese) underpaid me a few months ago, by about $5000. I didn’t actually notice it - not because I’m rich, but because I don’t check my bank balance very often. She pulled my aside after class one day, told me she’d found a mistake in my pay, apologised and asked me if I’d prefer cash then, or should she just make up the extra the following month when my pay goes into my bank account.