When a manager does something or makes a decision you don’t agree with, here’s how to deal with it using Young Professional teamwork skills. It could happen at any point in your work journey, so be prepared!
When your boss makes a decision you don’t agree with, it’s natural to feel frustrated and annoyed. Get those feelings under control or you can make it really hard to have a good working relationship with your manager or to do your job effectively. That will lead to you feeling resentful and stressed out at work, so it’s good to nip those feelings in the bud!
So what are some good ways to handle it when your manager makes a decision you don’t like?
Try to take emotions out of it
Work is work – it’s not personal! It’s understandable to feel frustrated when a decision is made that you think is bad, or that you wouldn’t have made, or that will impact you in a way that isn’t ideal (though if something really causes hardship or difficulty for you, you should say something – more on that in a minute.) But approaching the problem with emotions running high won’t help! Take a few deep breaths, if you need to then step away from your desk for a few minutes, and get your feelings and immediate reaction under control before you try to tackle the problem in a more productive way.
Are you excessively invested?
It’s important to be invested in your job – to genuinely care about doing a good job and the success of your organisation. But there is absolutely such a thing as being too invested, and that point comes when your emotional reactions get in the way of doing your job well. If you find you’re getting excessively upset about work decisions or that your emotional reaction is out of proportion, try to take a big step back emotionally and remember that work is work. You could also consider reaching out to a supportive colleague or mentor, or speaking to your Employee Assistance Programme if you have one.
Ask questions
If you don’t understand why something is being done a certain way, it’s fine to ask. This doesn’t mean parroting “why?” to everything your manager says. But you might say, “I’m not sure I understand the reason for this new process – could you explain it to me?”
It’s entirely possible that there’s context you’re missing or a really good reason for the decisions that have been made that you’re not aware of. You might not be told everything (sometimes things are confidential for good reasons) but a good manager will be happy to explain things to you as far as they’re able to do so.
Defer to their expertise, even if it’s hard
Your boss is in their position for a reason – likely as a result of their experience, dedication, and years of hard work. Swallowing your pride and annoyance when you don’t like a decision is hard, but try to remember that it’s very likely your boss really does know what they’re doing. Part of being in the workplace, especially when you’re quite junior, is knowing when to defer to the expertise of people with more experience. And you never know – you might just be able to learn from them!
Keep an open mind and a positive attitude
If you assume a project is going to fail based on your boss’s decision, you won’t give your best work and it’s more likely it will fail. This is called a self-fulfilling prophecy! So keep your mind open, approach the new challenge with a can-do attitude and willingness to be surprised, and throw yourself into doing the best job you possibly can.
One way to do this is to ask yourself, “how would I act if I were a person who really believed this decision was the right one?” Think about how that person would approach things, and then do that. Yes, it’s a “fake it ‘til you make it” approach – but it works.
Resist the temptation to badmouth anyone
A quiet moan to your work friend or sending a complaining text to your partner when you’re on your lunch break is one thing (though I urge you against making a habit of this.) But repeatedly complaining about the situation – or your boss – to anyone who will listen isn’t going to do your standing at your workplace, your team’s morale, or your career any good.
And please, please don’t badmouth your boss or your company on social media (or through work email.) It almost always comes out, and nothing good ever comes of it.
Speak up if something negatively impacts you
There’s a possibility that your manager has missed a possible implication of their decision. Managers are human and they make mistakes and miss things! So if a decision they’ve made will genuinely cause a difficulty or hardship for you, speak up.
Imagine if work has been reassigned amongst your team and you’re worried that you won’t be able to cope with the amount that has been assigned to you. You could try saying “I’ve been spending a lot of time on the ABC project, but now you’ve assigned XYZ to me I’m going to struggle to keep up with that. Can you give me some guidance on what you’d like me to prioritise?”
Don’t suffer in silence or seethe in quiet resentment. Speak up! But name the specific issue and ask your manager for help and support – that’s their job.
Have you ever had a situation at work where your boss made a decision you really didn’t like? Tell us over on Twitter @YEUK2012 how you dealt with it and how it all worked out!
