Can we approach our boss together so no one’s the fall guy?

My boss is driving us all crazy. She’s a micromanager and doesn’t realize that her actions are causing a lot of stress and unhappiness. She doesn’t seem open to feedback, and no one wants to say anything for fear of the reaction or retaliation. Should we go to her and say something as a team, so that there’s no one person who needs to shoulder the responsibility?

Oooh, kind of like “Murder on the Orient Express”? Spoiler alert if you haven’t seen the movie, but you are all going to kill your careers together. OK, perhaps I have a flair for the dramatic, but unless you speak as a chorus, someone will have to take the lead. It would feel like an intervention, and I can’t imagine a team actually pulling this off. Is there a highest ranking person or someone who is a trusted confidante who can help provide feedback? Does the leader have a coach, or is there a review process where feedback can be given? You don’t really know if someone is open to feedback unless you give them a chance to demonstrate how they react. And sometimes that brave person develops a closer relationship as a result.

My son graduates next May and instead of looking for a job, he’s thinking of going straight to graduate school to study business. Is this a good idea?

Education is always a good idea, but how to make the most of the opportunity varies. A master’s degree in business without any work experience is not nearly as marketable as it is for someone who has worked for at least a year or two. The work experience will also make the education experience that much more rewarding and instructional. So, if the strategy is to have a leg up on the competition to land a job, it isn’t the best one. However, sometimes, for many reasons, people aren’t ready to begin their careers, in which case education is a fine option to help prepare for that next chapter of their life — and preferable to playing video games on the couch in the basement.

Gregory Giangrande has over 25 years of experience as a chief human resources executive. Hear Greg Weds. at 9:35 a.m. on iHeartRadio 710 WOR with Len Berman and Michael Riedel. E-mail: [email protected]. Follow: GoToGreg.com and on
Twitter: @GregGiangrande