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How To Challenge Your Boss And Be Loved For It. by Betasms: 12:29pm On Oct 08, 2014
You haven’t agreed with the recent decisions of someone you work with, but said nothing. You have some great ideas you’d like to share with him, but haven’t. You just don’t feel comfortable speaking your mind.

Why? He’s your boss.

While your hesitation to not “rock the boat” is natural, your silence could create problems. First, you were hired to make valuable contributions to the organisation. If you’re only willing to be a “Yes Person” — and accept the status quo or poor decision-making — you’re neither doing your job well nor helping the company to succeed. Most senior executives are looking for employees to speak up, as lack of new ideas is often a barrier to innovation in their companies.

Also, your unwillingness to articulate concerns or ideas could hinder your career path. Your manager may be looking for you to challenge him on occasion, and you’re not seeing it. And even if it’s true your boss would prefer you go along with every decision he makes, others around you (and above him) may wonder why you always choose to keep quiet. You therefore risk being perceived as someone who lacks leadership qualities and is easily dismissed.

In summary, silence is not always golden. So, are you ready to speak up? Here’s some advice to help ensure your boss will listen to your feedback and ideas with a positive ear:

DEVELOP TRUST; A key aspect to developing a healthy employee-boss relationship is trust. This works both ways. You will earn trust and respect from your boss if you keep to your project deadlines, are a reliable member of the work team, and are prepared to go that extra mile.
Regard your boss as a fellow human being with feelings, and not as the ‘enemy’.

PREPARE YOURSELF; Preparation builds a stronger case. Don’t just present a list of problems to your boss. Be ready to offer solutions, and explain why those ideas could be better options. An example: “I know we have been using XYZ accounting software for years, but I think ABC software could help us work more efficiently. Here’s what my research shows …”

AVOID TRIVIAL MATTERS AND GAIN RESPECT; Do not approach your boss with trivial matters. He is most likely a very busy man that will feel that you should iron out these issues by yourself. Running to your boss with the slightest of problems will also lead to a lower regard towards you and the notion that you lack drive, independence and initiative.

EXERCISE TACT; Sometimes it reaches the crunch point, whereby you know that you need to speak out. If done correctly you will not only keep your job, but also, possibly, earn some extra respect from your boss.
It’s essential that you exercise tact and adopt an appropriate tone of voice. Someone that is too simpering will be readily dismissed just as will one that comes across as arrogant. Be firm and sure of yourself.
In some situations, it might be that your boss has made a mistake. Don’t embarrass him in front of others, and don’t make demands. The right way to deal with this would be to show sensitivity towards his feelings and try to have a casual chat with him in a private setting about the matter in hand.

TIMING IS CRUCIAL; Some bosses have a confrontational nature, and don’t take kindly to what they regard as a criticism or a challenge to ‘their’ authority. It’s important to exercise a good judgement of appropriate timing for that all-important challenge with your boss.
If you ‘catch’ your boss at a bad moment, such as when his schedule is fully booked up or is clearly in a bad mood, then wait until a more suitable opportunity arises.
In a very busy working environment, it may be worthwhile scheduling a meeting with your boss in advance. This also prepares him for the idea of something new, rather than being taken by surprise.

RESEARCH YOUR IDEAS THOROUGHLY; When preparing for a confrontation with your boss, remember to do your homework! This involves considering every aspect that you can possibly think of, and ensuring that there are no apparent flaws in your ideas.
Consider what type of questions might be asked of you, and mentally prepare for your answers. Back up your ideas with several sources of evidence, facts, and figures.

BE SENSITIVE; Remember that your boss will be more accommodating when he realizes that you are not attempting to threaten his position or authority.
Make it clear to him that you will not press this matter any further if it does not succeed within a reasonable and realistic deadline.

YOUR DUTY; For those that find specific situations within their work environment unacceptable to the point that they are considering handing in their notice, you have a duty to yourself and other employees to speak out.
If your boss doesn’t listen – well, at least you know that you attempted to resolve matters.

UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE; Keep a clear head, be rational, professional, and have a good understanding of what it is you’re challenging.
There is nothing worse than an opinionated employee who has clearly misunderstood the issues at hand. Do not allow the situation to become a heated argument.

COMPLIMENT YOUR BOSS; From the outset, be friendly towards your boss. Pay him a few compliments about something that he has done that you appreciate.
Relax and reassure him, so that he understands that your intentions are well meaning.

KNOW WHEN TO BACK DOWN; When fresh ideas are being taken on board, a company grows and evolves with the times. Remember, there are a time and a place for everything. Once you have made your challenge, it’s essential to back down and respect your boss’s final decision on the matter – unless you come up with further evidence for your cause.
If you fail to do this, you risk the chance of creating dissent within the work environment. It is reasonable and responsible to support your boss in order to create a sense of unity, and a harmonious atmosphere.

LISTEN; There might be aspects of your cause that you haven’t considered. When making your challenge, be prepared to listen to your boss’s reasoning, explanations and logic too.
Remember that your challenge is not about winning a ‘fight’ but about negotiating and understanding. Do not be overly defensive nor on the attack – exercise diplomacy.
While remaining true to your disagreement, it’s a good move to agree with your boss’s valid points, and this will further your own cause. Your boss will appreciate that you are a reasonable person, rather than an upstart.

BE WILLING TO COMPROMISE; It’s important to walk away from your challenge and feel that you have accomplished something as opposed to being manipulated by the boss into backing down.
You may need to be willing to come to a compromise in order to reach an agreement that is acceptable to you and in the company’s best interests as a whole and not just a benefit to those with accounting jobs in the finance department!

SUCCESS; If you are able to challenge your boss successfully without gloating, he will feel more comfortable to approach you for feedback and further ideas. Your future opinions will be highly valued, and you might discover that your boss will go out of his way to seek you out specifically.
A sign of trust and respect from your boss will also help to further your career prospects, and he may be more inclined to recommend you highly for future jobs. This is a positive sign of a healthy relationship between the boss and his employee.

TRYING IS EVERYTHING; Of course, no matter how well you prepare, there’s always a chance your input will not be well received, or acted upon, by your supervisor. But that’s a risk you must take if you want to have an impact at your firm and fulfill the expectations of those who hired you.

How do you challenge your boss? Share your tips in the comment section!

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Re: How To Challenge Your Boss And Be Loved For It. by naturally: 12:30pm On Oct 08, 2014
Politeness is the key
Re: How To Challenge Your Boss And Be Loved For It. by constance500: 12:50pm On Oct 08, 2014
Just be hardworking. Polite. Neat, reliable... The rest are minors
Re: How To Challenge Your Boss And Be Loved For It. by 3coins(m): 1:08pm On Oct 08, 2014
last one. . . BEAR IN MIND THAT YOU MAY GET FIRED
Re: How To Challenge Your Boss And Be Loved For It. by Betasms: 4:39pm On Oct 08, 2014
lol...good one. a friend of mine was fired for challenging his boss. and he did it in a polite a way oh
Re: How To Challenge Your Boss And Be Loved For It. by Betasms: 8:52am On Oct 09, 2014
post=26971666:
lol...good one. a friend of mine was fired for challenging his boss. and he did it in a polite a way oh

lol

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