I need a delicate way to tell my boss that I feel like I am not being trained and kept up to date.

I should have added this:

How do I ask to be kept better informed without looking or sounding like I am complaining, even though I am?

Make some suggestions for an improved communication structure (something that’ll work for you), suggest it as an improvement for everyone. Position it as a way for everyone to be be more efficient, working smarter, etc.

@wildflower, I have tried that very thing. I think that the main problem is that most of the people I work with are based out of Miami, L.A., New Zealand and Scotland so we are all, all over the place and awake at different times. It is not just being able to keep up to date in Portland, Oregon where I live but all over the world. Things change so fast in this job.

Do you normally have weekly meetings with your boss? If so, you could take the last 10 minutes for “product updates.”

You can try to make it look like you’re being more proactive, and really have the best interest of the customer in mind if you say something casual like:

“Hey – I’m noticing that some of the customers are asking questions about [insert product] and I want to make sure I’m giving them the most current information possible. Is there a site I could go to for the most frequent updates (R&D?...I’m not sure what product you’re selling, judo) or could we tack on a few minutes to the end of our meetings for updates? That would be helpful. If not, maybe a weekly email or something, just so that we’re all on the same page? Thanks.”

Does that sound like something you could say?

@figbash:
This sounds similar to what we do but the end of the meetings always end up being just a weekly recap. I am going to try your way and see how it works. It is a delicate detail that needs to be addressed for the benefit of everyone. Cheers! By the way, I sell and market liquor but I can’t say which ones.

Does your company have a traffic or production manager, or does your billing software have a change order/work flow process in it? Perhaps tightening up process under the guise of improving billables?

Ahhhh…it’s liquor! You could even say “Hey, I’ve noticed that bar managers/bartenders are starting to ask more about ____ and ______ and I’d like to know what to tell them. I think if we can stay ahead of some of these trends, and have more information about what’s going on in our market, we could really increase our sales.”

Also, if he does give you information that’s useful, tell him that you think it would be really helpful for your co-workers/team members to know too, and then ask him if you can send it out to all of them via email. Maybe he’ll take the hint that that’s what he’s supposed to be doing.

Also, positive reinforcement. When he does give you any information or training, tell him how much more effective that makes you; even if it’s BS. After awhile, maybe it’ll sink in…..