Saying No To Your Boss
Wednesday June 10, 2009
Sometimes, as a manager the most valuable thing you can do for your boss is to say no. Many managers are afraid to do it for fear of losing their job. Others are just plain disagreeable and get fired anyway. Read Saying No To Your Boss and find out why this is so important and how to do it right.
And this article from Rachel Zupek on CareerBuilder.com suggest ways to say no to your boss in five specific instances.
I once said no to my boss because he instructed me to do something that would have violated his own word. I ended up being called into his boss’s office and we worked out a compromise. Once the issue was settled, I received a promotion. The truth is, businesses need critical thinkers. If you say no, and you can back up your opinion in a reasonable manner that serves the business overall, you boss will respect you for it, even if he/she disagrees.
My girlfriend, Maggie, is a used car salesperson. Her sales manager asked her to do something that they both knew was wrong, and she refused. He was halfway through firing her, when the “big boss” showed up and fired him. Sometimes, even when you do the right thing, you have to be lucky.