That, and if you're a boss, badmouthing anyone on your team to your own boss sends a message that you can't keep your house in order and maybe you aren't fit to

That, and if you're a boss, badmouthing anyone on your team to your own boss sends a message that you can't keep your house in order and maybe you aren't fit to lead a team. So if you're a manager and you're smart, then when your boss asks you about your reports, the correct answer is always yes sir/ma'am, everyone is doing great--anything less reflects poorly on your ability to manage them. Your boss doesn't want to deal with people-managing your reports, that's why he/she hired you in the first place.