11 Surprising Things Your Boss Wishes Youd Talk About

11 Surprising Things Your Boss Wishes Youd Talk About11 Surprising Things Your Boss Wishes Youd Talk AboutWhether its taking a sick day or dealing with a task you dont love, employees can be hesitant to discuss certain aspects of their job with their bosses.But thats often to your detriment. In fact, there are probably a lot of things you think are taboo, but that you really should be talking about with your boss.Need some proof? We spoke to 11 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) to find out what they wish their team members would tell them, but typically dont.1. What You Really Enjoy DoingI wish my employees were more vocal about what they actually enjoy doing at the company as opposed to the usual vocalizing about what they dont like doing. Then I can ensure that those positive things continue as parte of their day-to-day in a proactive way. - Rameet Chawla, Fueled2. What You Find BoringI wish my employees would tell me what they find boring. I am always interested in how they think the workplace could be made more fun. Its not something many employees are comfortable talking about, but I encourage the discussion to build a better work environment. - Simon Casuto, eLearning Mind3. Your Ideas for AutomationNo one likes repetitive tasks, but most people dont even think of ways to automate certain processes to make themselves happier and more productive. Ive encouraged my team to actively brainstorm ways to make their jobs easier with technology so they can work smarter, not harder. This is a win-win for everyone when they recognize opportunities to streamline workflows. - Firas Kittaneh, Amerisleep4. Your Feedback and GoalsEmployees usually dont talk to me about the help they need to reach their goals and follow through on commitments. They probably dont because they believe theyre not living up to our expectations. As a company, we have a strong get it done mentality, which can intimidate some. - Mark Samuel, Fitmark5. Your Knowledge GapsEmploy ees tend to hide any knowledge gaps they have in fear they will appear incompetent to their employers. This is unfortunate because offering the opportunity to help employees learn and fill in these knowledge gaps is every employers responsibility. Not knowing what these gaps are prevents employers from helping employees grow, which causes undue stress and poor performance. - Phil Chen, Systems Watch6. What Youre ThinkingI wish my employees would talk to me more about questions or ideas they have. We have an open door policy, so I wish more employees would stop by and be candid, direct, and assertive with me about what theyre thinking. I think they dont because theyve been taught you should just conform and do what youre told. They might have it ingrained in their head to not ask questions or speak up. - Dan Price, Gravity Payments7. Your Issues With Other EmployeesIt can be difficult to create a culture of positivity and helpfulness while still remaining open to constructive feedbac k and grievances about other employees. I find that my team doesnt want to tattle and talk badly about others. While this is generally a good thing, it can be a challenge when youre trying to get a clear picture of an employees true performance within the team. - Laura Roeder, MeetEdgar.com8. How the Company Has Influenced Your Perspective on LifeI want my employees to share with me their thoughts on how the company changed their outlook on and approach toward life. I believe work should add meaning and value to your life, and understanding how my company accomplishes that for employees is extremely important. - Kevin Xu, Mebo zwischenstaatlich9. What Isnt WorkingIts really hard to get someone to tell you what doesnt work. But surely not everything is perfect Get people to tell you a few things that are wrong and make some effort to fix them so they know they can come to you with bigger things. - Jessica Richman, UBiome10. When Youre Taking Time OffI run my company mostly remotely. Im based in Denver, but I travel quite a bit, and a lot of my team members live in other cities. I find that in this situation, sometimes employees are timid to say when theyre traveling or working from another city. I dont know why this is perhaps its something thats been programmed in them from previous jobs. - Rob Fulton, Exponential Black11. Your Career ProgressionIm often surprised when employees dont ask about whats next when it comes to the progression of their career. Unfortunately, many get comfortable in the details of their current role and forget that its important to continually push forward. This is important for their own career advancement and helping the company grow to the next level. If employees remain stagnant, so will the company. - Brian Honigman, BrianHonigman.comPhoto of people talking courtesy of Shutterstock.