Telling Your Boss He's Wrong

So, the weekend is over and you're slumped in a chair in another interminable meeting, half-focusing on your boss who is doing "yadda-yadda-yadda" about widgets or sales forecasts or customer complaints or whatever the harangue de jour is, and all of a sudden you have a blinding vision of the way things should be done, followed by an overwhelming urge to share this brilliant idea that directly contradicts what the boss is saying.

It's the moment of truth.

Do you speak up, saving the company (possibly) thousands of work-hours and dollars, and risk making your boss look like an idiot, or do you sink back into the pack and run over the cliff with the rest of the lemmings?

Yes. No. Wait...what was the question?

Telling the boss he/she is wrong is tricky. It requires thoughtful analysis, willingness to compromise and knowing when to throw in the cards or go "all in". Here are some tips for getting it right.

1. Timing is Everything. The earlier you can get your ideas in about a project, the better you'll be. Don't wait until the blueprints are finalized to point out that the access door needs to be in a different place.

2. Choose Your Battles. How important is this issue? Some people just like to be contrary and challenge the status quo. Examine your motives for speaking up and, if you have a clear conscience and a better way of doing things, then go for it.

3. Always Have a Suggestion. If you're going to disagree with your boss, you'd better have an alternative solution in mind. No one wants a nay-sayer who doesn't like the current plan but can't come up with anything better.

4. Discretion is the Better Part of Valor. Take your opposing idea to your boss in private. Challenging him or her directly in front of a group doesn't offer a face-saving way out. Unless the situation is critical (think, life-threatening), it won't hurt to wait.

5. Talk Around It. Instead of coming right out with your own plan, sit down with your boss for a talk, and do a little mental maneuvering. Think aloud about the situation and bring up pros and cons while gradually shifting around to the plan you want the boss to consider - sort of a two-person brainstorming session.

6. Be a Team Player. Before you jump in with your own version, make absolutely sure you understand all the ramifications of what your boss is proposing and what she/he is trying to accomplish. Make it a problem-solving exercise, not a win/lose scenario. And if your idea wins out, keep it to yourself. Let your boss decide when, and how, to share the praise.

7. Learn to Lose. If your boss is operating under constraints that you're not aware of, it doesn't matter how good your idea is. You don't have the final say-so and you have to be able to live with that. And, sometimes, your boss is just going to disagree with you and nothing you can say or do is going to change that. Accept it gracefully and live to fight another day.

Speaking up with your boss can be a challenge, especially if you're not used to putting yourself out there. Good managers, though, want to hear different ideas and encourage their workers to speak up -- loudly and often - and if you always just go along with the flow you may find yourself overlooked at promotion time. Follow the suggestions above and start making a positive name for yourself.