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Humor Me

"Saying No to your Boss" can be a difficult task. It is almost easier to suck it up and do the work even if it means burning the midnight oil. Fortunately we have been given a good article written by Ernie Humphreys. He gives us five approaches we can take to say no without really saying no. I am looking at each of those approaches and looking at how leaders should react if they have an employee or a follower use one of these approaches.

Today I am combining the 4th and 5th approach. The fourth is “Let a task stew to see if it still remains relevant”. This approach is making a point of not saying anything but instead let the project or task sit for a while and see if your boss still remembers it. Sometimes bosses will think of something and then think out loud, not really assigning the task. If you leave it alone it may go away.
As a leader this is a harder approach to combat or embrace. It might be that you are serious about the task or maybe you were just thinking out loud. Here are some things you can do as a leader if confronted with this approach.
  • Let the task settle before bringing it up again. This way they know you were serious. 
  • Ask for a confirmation and completion date from the person.
  • Restate the task or project and briefly explain what role that person will play in the project.
  • Ask for their opinion of the project. This will get them talking and who knows you might find it is an off the wall idea.
  • The fifth approach is a good fit for the next bullet point. Use humor if tension is apparent. Humor should always be used by both sides. It helps cut through the tension and it helps each person be able to see clearly. It also allows each side to see the project for what it is worth, solid and worthy or crazy and unfounded.
Be a leader work with your people to make sure the project is clearly understood. I hope you have found this series helpful. Please share with me other leadership topics you would like to see discussed.
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