How To Disagree With Your Boss
How you disagree with your boss can make or break your employment.
You can't always find yourself in agreement with everything your boss says, but when you do disagree, you will have to find a way to air your sentiments so that your boss knows that you still have respect while dealing with the issue as directly as possible.
Here are some tips on how to object to what your superior is saying without risking your job:
1. Make sure your motives are right. Don't wait until you get irritated to tell your boss something is up. That just ends up being counterproductive. You lose focus on your actual purpose because you tend to concentrate on your own feelings.
2. Begin by saying how much you respect your boss. Make sure your superior understands that your goal in having this discussion is to merely air an opposing view on how to reach a common end.
3. State the facts. After you have established your respect for your boss, lay out the objective parts of your argument first. Don't immediately jump to conclusions. Be sure to outline the non-judgmental aspects of your argument and objectives.
4. Allow your boss to air his or her own arguments. If your boss becomes defensive make assurances that you have respect for him or her.
5. Let it be a true dialogue. Be sure to also hear out your boss' perspective of the issue. Hopefully this will lead to more openness on both yours and your boss' parts.
Attitude, Strategy | Gloria Gamat | 29 June 2010 |
