 |
Telling your Boss He's Wrong
Author: Joan Schramm  | Posted: 30-01-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 10 | Rating: (53)  (?) 
 So, the weekend is over and you're slumped in a chair in another interminable meeting, half-focusing on your boss who is doing "yadda-yadda-yadda" about widgets or sales forecasts or customer complaints or whatever the harangue de jour is, and all of a sudden you have a blinding vision of the way things should be done, followed by an overwhelming urge to share this brilliant idea that directly contradicts what the boss is saying.
It's the moment of truth.
Do you speak up, saving the company (possibly) thousands of work-hours and dollars, and risk making your boss look like an idiot, or do you sink back into the pack and run over the cliff with the rest of the lemmings?
Yes. No. Wait...what was the question?
Telling the boss he/she is wrong is tricky. It requires thoughtful analysis, willingness to compromise and knowing when to throw in the cards or go "all in". Here are some tips for getting it right.
1. Timing is Everything. The earlier you can get your ideas in about a project, the better you'll be. Don't wait until the blueprints are finalized to point out that the access door needs to be in a different place.
2. Choose Your Battles. How important is this issue? Some people just like to be contrary and challenge the status quo. Examine your motives for speaking up and, if you have a clear conscience and a better way of doing things, then go for it.
3. Always Have a Suggestion. If you're going to disagree with your boss, you'd better have an alternative solution in mind. No one wants a nay-sayer who doesn't like the current plan but can't come up with anything better.
4. Discretion is the Better Part of Valor. Take your opposing idea to your boss in private. Challenging him or her directly in front of a group doesn't offer a face-saving way out. Unless the situation is critical (think, life-threatening), it won't hurt to wait.
5. Talk Around It. Instead of coming right out with your own plan, sit down with your boss for a talk, and do a little mental maneuvering. Think aloud about the situation and bring up pros and cons while gradually shifting around to the plan you want the boss to consider - sort of a two-person brainstorming session.
6. Be a Team Player. Before you jump in with your own version, make absolutely sure you understand all the ramifications of what your boss is proposing and what she/he is trying to accomplish. Make it a problem-solving exercise, not a win/lose scenario. And if your idea wins out, keep it to yourself. Let your boss decide when, and how, to share the praise.
7. Learn to Lose. If your boss is operating under constraints that you're not aware of, it doesn't matter how good your idea is. You don't have the final say-so and you have to be able to live with that. And, sometimes, your boss is just going to disagree with you and nothing you can say or do is going to change that. Accept it gracefully and live to fight another day.
Speaking up with your boss can be a challenge, especially if you're not used to putting yourself out there. Good managers, though, want to hear different ideas and encourage their workers to speak up -- loudly and often - and if you always just go along with the flow you may find yourself overlooked at promotion time. Follow the suggestions above and start making a positive name for yourself.
Rate this Article:
Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/telling-your-boss-hes-wrong-319100.html
About the Author:Joan Schramm, the Workplace Solutions Expert, is a career, executive and personal coach with twenty years experience in management, training and coaching. Joan can work with you to figure out exactly what you want from your life and your career, and how to get there without a lot of detours. For more information, or to talk about what's going on in your life, go to:
http://www.achieve-momentum.com
|
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free! |
|
Related Articles
The Perils of Positive Thinking
By: Estienne De Beer | 16/06/2006 | Careers
Positive thinking on its own cannot and will never be a substitute for getting things done and achieving results. Positive thinking without application of knowledge and skill is nothing but wishful dreaming and fraught with the dangers of disillusionment.
Actively and Confidently Seek Promotion
By: Christine Belknap | 06/04/2007 | Careers
After your time and your money, an area in which we can really get ahead of other people is in the workplace. And by getting ahead in this area you will be rewarded with:
*More responsibility
*Promotion
*Greater job satisfaction
*More money
So, how do you get ahead at work?
Breaking Bureaucracy
By: Estienne De Beer | 26/06/2006 | Motivational
The ultimate goal for your boss is to retire and until then, bask in the glory of all his titles and years of service...
Immature Leaders Go Off Like Milk
By: Estienne De Beer | 26/06/2006 | Careers
Real leaders understand that they can't have a handle on other people if they don't have a handle on themselves...
10 Tips To Catapult Your Career
By: Candace Czarny, CFM, ASID, LEED AP, Feng Shui Expert | 14/01/2008 | Careers
Since most of us have to work in order to have enough money to pay our bills, it's no wonder that more people are turning to Feng Shui to help them jumpstart their career paths. Even if you are in the field that you desire, you may not be living...
Building Your Resume / Best Practices
By: SelfishBeat | 02/05/2008 | Resumes
Resumes play the most critical role in job applications. Well-written resumes are capable of impressing employers by giving them the exact information and details that they needs to match resumes to vacant positions at their ends, thus, guaranteeing initial acceptance and guaranteeing interviews. This article will provide some best practices tips for a continuous fine-tuning process of resumes.
Effective Relationships are the Key to Success and Prosperity
By: Jim DeSantis | 30/03/2008 | Leadership
Some principles remain true down through the ages. Whether we cook over a fire or push a button on the microwave, the power of relationships is one of those principles. When fully understood, creating effective reflationships will open unimaginable doors for you.
Salary Negotiation Power Tips
By: Jim DeSantis | 28/03/2008 | Management
As a former Manager I can tell you that money is the most sensitive issue in the whole hiring process. It's sensitive for both prospective employer and job applicants. Handled correctly, both employer and applicant can come to an amicable figure. Here are eight ways I found that make the process of salary negotiation more efficient.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get a job with the Salmon Creek American ...
By: Ethel | 01-07-2008
How can I get a job with the Salmon Creek American Legion in Vancouver WA helping with Bingo? Is this volunteer only? Do you have to be a member of the Legion?
What to do with a degree of a M.S. in education ...
By: Michelle | 01-07-2008
what to do with a degree of a M.S. in education for the deaf and hard of hearing?
Can you please give me the San Antonio main office ...
By: antiayvette720 | 30-06-2008
Can you please give me the San Antonio main office number to the head start program and agency name?
Inquisitive
By: kussmiarl | 30-06-2008
How do prominent stars feel about working with with other well iknown actors?
Small business knowledge wanted
By: Michelle | 30-06-2008
We are starting our own business out of our home.It is called Get it all ball.com,we are marketing ebooks and CD-Roms that you can't buy in stores.How can we get this information out to the public with out paying a big fee to do it?We have spent all of our savings to get this started and it's new to us but,failure is not an option in our lives.We are determined to make this work for us.
Who will sponsor me at horse shows around the ...
By: sara shalda performance horses | 29-06-2008
who will sponsor me at horse shows around the country ?
Q&A Powered by: 
Latest Business Articles
Undersell, Overdeliver
By: Charlie Karlheinz Lang | 08/07/2008
This article shows us how salespeople can undersell and overdeliver to get more success in sales.
Would You Like to Take the Pain Out of Giving Constructive Feedback? the Seven Steps
By: Julie Ellis | 08/07/2008
Pretty much all of us feel uncomfortable about giving feedback. If we don't know how to do it effectively, we can either avoid it or make a mess of the communication. This article gives the 7 steps in how to give constructive feedback in a way that works. It begins by asking us first to take responsibility for our own reactions so that they don't get in the way and then gives a step by step guide to achieving a positive outcome.
Are You a 'people-friendly' Manager?
By: Pat Brill | 08/07/2008
A "people friendly" environment reduces stress, decreases turnover, and supports higher levels of performance with employees. Organizations today are addressing the "people friendly" environment with additional programs that support work-life balance. And..that is great.
Locate Employment 101
By: Ed Opperman | 08/07/2008
Most people find services more convenient and easy. It takes away much of the arguments that come along with serving papers or repossessing property.
Connaught Opens Fund For Investors Tired of Products
By: Mark Smalls | 08/07/2008
Connaught Asset Management has launched a Guaranteed Low Risk Income fund, which company executives said is aimed at investors who have lost their appetite for investment products.
It promises to pay a guaranteed annual return of at least 8.15 per cent, by investing in low-risk, short-term bridging financing.
Investors who put in...
Capita Buys up Land For Future Planning
By: Nigel Walter | 08/07/2008
Funds seeking the UK sites most likely to obtain planning permission for buildings.
Capita is to launch two funds to snap up land that could be used to meet the government's target to develop 4.2m homes over the next 20 years.
Connaught Asset Management has been appointed by Capita as the specialist...
How to Expand an Office Cleaning/ Janitorial Business
By: Brent Wale | 08/07/2008
If you own and operate an office cleaning/ janitorial business, or looking to start one,Here's a way you can explode your income in your office cleaning/janitorial business without even getting any new accounts.
Feedback as a Competitive Sport
By: Jennifer Selby Long | 08/07/2008
A common roadblock to success is the use of feedback to win, to dominate the person seen as the opponent. Dealing with this can affect your happiness and your sanity. Organizations in which leaders and managers routinely share high-quality feedback are easier to scale and have fewer nagging problems and less operational drag.
|
|
Business 
