Have you been in the position where you disagree with your boss, but are afraid to say anything because of the repercussions that may ensue? Join the club!

There are many people who have been in this position and it causes more frustration than many people can deal with. They either lack the assertiveness skills to face up to the situation, or they fear the consequences of doing so. It may trigger a negative reaction from the boss, or you may be viewed as being negative.

But most managers tell me that they would welcome different opinions and actually value alternative perspectives…as long as they can see the value in the new idea and it’s expressed in a way that will drive decision-making forward.

If you do decide to be constructive and disagree on a point with your manager, here are some ideas that may help:

1) Ensure your ideas are in co-operation with your boss’s goals and the organisation’s vision. For example, “I think that this new project management system is actually more effective than the one we are using and it’s the same price. I know we’ve been using it for some time; would you like me to tell you the extra benefits we would get from the new system?”

2) Don’t just raise objections to what they say…come up with actionable suggestions. Your boss will appreciate some suggestions for alternative courses of action, rather than just highlighting what is wrong with their current mode of thinking.

3) Explain how your idea will overcome risks or bring greater benefits. By detailing what the alternative ideas will result in, you give the boss a better perspective on how it might improve systems or processes.

4) Offer the alternative choices. Hopefully, no manager (even yours) believes they have a manifesto on being correct all the time, so if you have alternative choices, it will help him or her weigh up the consequences with you and come up with ideas that could supplement yours.

5) Reflect their concerns and show how your ideas would work just as well or better. Tell them you’ve done your research and understand how your ideas might cause some concerns. Outline the results your ideas would bring and help them to see that the risks or worries they might have have been thought through effectively.

Naturally, if you both share the same goals and principles, disagreements won’t occur often. When they do, you now have some ideas that will help you have confidence in approaching any situation like this with a plan of action and a results-oriented approach.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

If your boss has different ideas to you, it can be difficult to get on their wavelength and identify how to add value to their management. How can you work with the boss and ensure you both are singing from the same songsheet?

Try these tips and see if they work for you:

* Agree on mutual expectations, responsibilities, standards of performance and success measurements. By doing this, you lay the foundation for all future dealings with them.

* Ask them to share their own goals and objectives. This way, you can offer help in them achieving what they want within the organisation, hence making you someone of necessity to them.

* Determine how you can help the most. Which areas that you have skills in would make their jobs easier?

* Deliver results in the way your manager wants them. Keep them informed at all times on how progress is going.

* Be dependable. If you make a promise, please keep it. Your boss doesn’t want to be made to look a fool if they’ve promised and you don’t deliver.

* Be open and receptive to feedback and advice. Don’t always look at defending yourself; it may be that they are right and you are wrong on this occasion.

* Anticipate and be proactive with problems on a timely basis. You don’t want it turning into a crisis before you let you manager know.

* Don’t waste your manager’s time. If it’s trivial, leave it till an appropriate time. If it’s important, let them know. But don’t become known for being a time-waster.

* Identify how your manager wants information given to them. Are they big-picture thinkers or do they sweat the small stuff? Identify this and give them information in the way they need it.

By understanding how your manager acts and reacts, you develop your relationship with them and identify the pressures they face. You need to become the kind of person your manager respects and can trust.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

A study on why people leave their jobs in order to work for another company came up with an interesting observation: More than two thirds of people leave, not because of better prospects or more pay, but because of their poor relationship with their immediate supervisor or manager.
This allows us to ask a question that might address this issue of poor relationships with the people we work for, namely “How can we get the best out of our boss and give ourselves the best opportunities to keep the communications loops wide open between us?”

Our take on this is to lead your manager proactively, rather than being in the reactive mode of letting them manage us. This will lead to effective and efficient project management, based on clear and specific goals that will create better results than if we just depended on our manager for guidance all the time.

Here are some tips to ensure you have the best chance of getting those results:

Make a contract with your manager:

Find out what an excellent job looks like, and who will be involved in measuring that performance.

Make sure you’re clear on your manager’s expectations:

What seems really exquisite work to you may only appear average to them

You could ask, “Can we be clear on what standard you are looking for on this project?” Or, “If this went exactly like you wanted it to go and it turned out perfect, what would have to happen between now and that time?” Be aware of all aspects of what the manager wants in the project; sometimes managers don’t tell you everything, and you have to dig deep to get the the details you require. Be assertive in asking questions that give you clarity of expectations, and don’t assume anything you’re not clear about.

Be clear on what would make your manager happy regarding quality, follow-up and timing:

Your manager may have lots of other things on their mind and might forget to tell you such things as a firm deadline or a required step. And since everyone operates from their own set of realities, the possibility of miscommunication is high. That’s why you need to take the initiative to set expectations for every project your boss assigns you. You need to find out: “What is the deadline? What are my resources? What checkpoints or milestones do we want to establish, if any? What step or contact person is absolutely critical to this project?” Just as you set expectations when dealing with clients and co-workers, you need to manage the relationship and set expectations with your boss every time.

Know what your manager’s style is and adapt to that style:

Some managers want the whole story, bit by bit, in detail and with commas and full-stops in the right place. Others just want the big picture, like an executive summary, just to convince them that you’re on the right track. Others want a mixture of both. Be aware of how your manager wants you to communicate with them. It will be worth your time invested in this important area.

Practice emotional intelligence with your manager when it comes to conflicting interests:

A person high in EQ will assess the situation with their manager and identify ways they can communicate effectively to resolve conflict. One of the best ways to do this is to accept responsibility for the communication. Use “I” rather than “You” to clarify meaning. For instance “I am not clear on this aspect” rather than “You need to explain that clearer”. By taking personal responsibility for any misunderstandings, you clarify in your own mind what standards are being expected, and create better long-term relationships with your manager

If other managers are involved in the project, be aware of their interests and styles:

Keeping up with the expectations and styles of many managers involved in the project may be tricky. Keep in mind the one thing that matters most to each of the stakeholders you have to please. Either ask each person what is most important to them, or work out what you have observed in each person’s behavior that you can work with. This way, you keep the communication lines open and allow each manager to see things from your perspective.

Lead them, rather than the other way round:

You can reassess the relationship with your manager on each new project you work on. If you are able to lead them and show them how to get the best out of you, and if you are able to build great communication skills with them and help them lead you better, it results in a fine working relationship that enhances every aspect of the projects you work on together
Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”