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.
----------------------------------------------------
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
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