Your boss tries to manage the workplace as efficiently as possible, but he cannot be everywhere at the same time. In the heat of a workplace exchange, or during a workplace event, your boss may rely on what he sees out of his peripheral vision to determine who is to blame in a conflict situation. But is your boss’ peripheral vision reliable?
When it comes to protecting yourself while allowing your boss to maintain his managerial status in the workplace, it can be difficult to walk that line. But there are some things you can do to help the situation and combat your boss’ completely unreliable peripheral vision.
Take Notes
The purpose to debunking your boss’ account of an incident is to prove that you are not guilty of any policy infraction. One of the ways you can do that is to keep detailed notes of the conflict and help your boss to understand exactly what happened.
Anyone who has been involved in a workplace conflict knows that it can sometimes be easy to see a conflict coming. By taking out a pen and paper and making quick notes on what happened, you are creating a foundation for the truth. Your boss can then take your account of the incident and use that to corroborate everyone else’s stories.
Turn On Your Phone
Most people have smartphones these days that have a camcorder function on them. In the days before the smartphone camcorder, it was almost impossible to convince your boss that his peripheral vision is playing tricks on him. But when you leave the phone camcorder running, it is impossible for your boss to discount the recorded video of the events.
The best way to present this to your boss is in a private meeting where your boss can see the video and then be able to compile a report that outlines the real events as they happened. A video of the events can also help your boss to focus more on what he really saw out of his peripheral vision and determine that perhaps things were not as he thought they were.
Ask Questions
Once again, if you are going to discount your boss’ peripheral vision, then you want to do it in a one on one meeting. Never put your boss on the spot in front of the entire staff. But once you do have your boss alone, you need to ask questions about what he thinks he saw to get his memory moving. He may come to realize that his peripheral vision has failed him.
If a workplace event takes place, your boss is going to trust what he thinks he sees with his peripheral vision. With the right approach, you can help your boss to understand that his peripheral vision is unreliable and that the facts tell a different story.
Peter Wendt is a freelance writer and a researcher residing in the Austin TX area. He likes to keep up with current events, especially unlawful employment practices and recommends this injury lawyer in Chicago if you have experienced workplace injuries.