Summary: Leaving your boss out of the loop may not be the brilliant plan this article suggests.Let’s just say the first of these reasons is if 1) you don’t like your job and prefer to go elsewhere! However, this Forbes article suggests you take action on an idea even if you know your boss is going to say no and claims that a “smart” boss will give you a shot. If your boss doesn’t think all your ideas are valuable, you could leave him or her out of the loop, or you could consider the following other options. Paul Brown, author of the article How Extremely Successful People Get Their Boss to Say Yes, suggests that putting your idea into action anyway, calculating your own risks, thinking like an entrepreneur and not asking your boss, is the way to get to yes. I would humbly and sincerely disagree. To me, this sounds like a recipe for unemployment soup. Instead, leave your boss out of the loop if he or she is already officially on the way out. Instead, leave your boss out of the loop if you have no interest in building better rapport and practicing your skills of working with people who operate differently than you. Instead, leave your boss out of the loop if you have no respect for him or her and think that your way is better and will be well received by HIS or HER boss. (In a few words: almost always not a good plan!) So, now what? You’re a leader. You have a great idea. You know your boss is not receptive. But you want a yes. Well, okay, here are some other options: - If your boss is a more linear thinker and has a need for control, make an appointment, share bullet pointed facts and details and use a logical approach. - If your boss is prone to emotional compulsiveness and spontaneous decisions, catch him on a good day and find a way to strike an emotional chord with your idea. How good will your idea make him look? - If your boss is never there, send an email saying that you plan to move forward, would like her input and value her opinion. Then list your plan and wait. Usually here a lack of response is a lack of interest or understanding. Follow up appropriately. A “no” now, doesn’t necessarily mean a “no” forever and there may be things you don’t know. There is great value in not only knowing how to lead those who report to you, but how to lead your boss. He or she is a person just like you are, but chances are their CORE Preference is different. The more you understand about who they are and how they operate and what they need, the more effective you will be at communicating your idea. Then again, if that sounds like too much work and you’d rather just go your own way, then maybe it’s time for you to not only ACT like an entrepreneur, but BE one. :) Need help? Click this link to the CORE Profile® and take it. It’s online. There is a fee for receiving the results, but our clients tell us the investment is FAR less than the investment of time they’ve spent in trying to figure out the difficult folks they deal with day after day. Something to consider for your office and maybe this is the first idea you practice running by your boss in a language he or she better understands. Have a great Monday, an even better week and of course, stay contagious!
