My old boss told me I was 'too nice' in meetings and it actually stung

Had a chat with my old manager from 3 years back at a coffee shop last week and she said I let people walk over me in project meetings because I never push back. She was right, I can think of at least 5 times in the last month where I said 'sure' to extra work I didn't have time for. Has anyone else had a blunt comment like that from a former coworker that made you change how you act at work?

2 comments

2 Comments

wesley1819d ago

lol so your manager basically told you that you're a human doormat and you took it as career advice? thats wild. i had a coworker once tell me i "apologize too much" and i literally said "sorry about that" right back to her. took me a solid year to stop saying sorry before asking basic questions. at least your old boss was trying to help though, mine just wanted me to stop apologizing for her bad management.

grace_campbell9d ago

Man, that's the thing though isn't it? How do you even tell the difference between a boss trying to help and a boss trying to shut you up? Because I feel like half the time it's the same advice just with a different vibe behind it. Did your coworker ever actually say what she wanted instead of just telling you to stop apologizing? Cause that's the real test right there. If someone points out a habit without offering a better way to handle things, it's hard to know if they're looking out for you or just irritated they have to listen to you. I think that matters way more than the words they use.