ASK ANNIE
If you really think your ideas could
help the company run better, don't keep quiet. But leave your emotions, and
your ego, at the door.
Dear
Annie:
I
recently started working for a division head who has been doing things the same
old way for a very long time. (He's been here about 20 years. I just started in
August.) I have a few thoughts about how we could improve some of our
procedures to serve customers better and save time and money, but I hesitate to
suggest these because my boss has a reputation for not listening to new ideas.
He has been known to blow up at people who disagree with him, especially when
they are new employees who haven't (in his words) "learned the ropes"
yet. Any suggestions on how to approach him, or should I just keep quiet for
now? - New Kid on the Block
Dear
New Kid:
If you
really think your ideas could help the business run better, don't keep quiet.
"When you disagree, it should be because you are convinced that your
position will be better for the company and for the boss--and that's what you
need to convey," says Robert Schaffer, a principal at
leadership-development consulting firm Robert H. Schaffer & Associates (http://www.rhsa.com).
But keep
in mind that some people harbor resentment of anyone with authority over them,
says Schaffer, and they have trouble speaking up without sending the unspoken
message: "How did anyone so inept get your job?" Other people lack
confidence, so they approach the boss with an attitude that says: "I'm
really not sure I'm right about this, but..." Says Schaffer: "Most
bosses will pick up on these signals and react accordingly. So, before you
assume that any difficulties arise from your division head's inability to
tolerate disagreement, think about what kind of signals you may be
sending."
Also pay
attention to "what you convey about winning or losing the debate," he
says. "If you signal too much glee when you win the point, or too much
disappointment when you lose, you force the boss to worry about how you're
going to react, rather than focusing on the merits of what you're saying."
To test
the waters, "ask your boss straightforwardly if he's open to
disagreement," Schaffer suggests. For example, say, "I have a couple
of questions about the Pomfret account. Are you interested in hearing them, or
have you already locked up your decision on it?" Or try an even safer
approach: Send an e-mail, or leave a voice-mail message saying, "I have
some questions on the Pomfret deal. Give me a call if you'd like to hear about
them." If you get no response, "you'll know the boss doesn't want to
have that discussion, and you've made it easy for him to send that message to
you," Schaffer says.
In their
book Talk Your Way to the Top: How to Address Any Audience Like Your Career
Depends On It (McGraw-Hill, $14.95), authors Kevin Daley and Laura
Daley-Caravella - a father-daughter communications-coaching team-include a
whole chapter called "How to Disagree with Your Boss Without Getting
Fired." You may want to check it out, since it outlines a clear five-step
strategy for getting your ideas across to even the most stubborn boss. Briefly,
it goes like this: First, ask questions (and take notes), to firm up your
understanding of why things are currently done the way they are. Second,
paraphrase what your boss has told you, both to make sure you've got it right
and to show that you respect what he's saying. Then, tie your own idea to what
you've just learned about the boss's needs and concerns. By doing this, the
authors write, "you allow your boss to see your idea through his or her
own lens." Next, ask an open question like "What do you think?"
to get your boss's reaction. This helps you "avoid the deadly word 'no'
and keep your boss feeling very much in charge of the decision, while you are
still managing the interaction," they say. And finally, thank your boss
for being willing to have the discussion. If he knows you appreciate the
effort, he'll be more willing to make it again next time.
What you
don't want is to let your ego, and your frustration with your boss's
intransigence, get in the way-as Daley admits he once did when challenging a
supervisor who was at least as set in his ways as your boss seems to be.
"Why start a war?" Daley asks. "The right way to disagree is to
replace any pattern of confrontation with a strategy that builds your
credibility while improving your working relationship." Good luck.