How to Remind Your Boss of Your Intention

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i love my boss. He has an amazing vision. And he also just happens to have a lot of really bad idea. So yes, i push back a lot. I push back constantly, because i really have faith in where we're going and appreciate being a part of it. But also, i have very high standards that i stick to in what you're doing is reminding him of your intention. It can ease that little bit of ego defensiveness that might come into playa. No pressure, no pressure at all. Just, hay, it's your buddy fal telling you not to do that.

Having a healthy, mutually beneficial relationship with your boss doesn’t require accommodating their every quirk, demand, and weakness. There are respectful, constructive ways to meet in the middle, set boundaries, and help them achieve their goals while making your competence known.

Amy G sits down with a woman who recently left retail for her first office job and a fintech executive with a marketing background to discuss managing-up practices that have helped them maintain positive, productive relationships with different bosses across their careers.

Guests:

Valerie is an operations manager at a law firm. She used to work in retail.

Mita Mallick is the head of inclusion, equity, and impact at Carta, a fintech company. She used to work in marketing. She co-hosts the podcast Brown Table Talk.

Resources:

• HBR Guide to Managing Up and Across, by Harvard Business Review

• “Setting the Record Straight on Managing Your Boss,” by Amy Gallo

• “How to Give Your Boss Feedback,” by Amy Gallo

• “Dealing with Your Incompetent Boss,” by Amy Gallo

• “When Being Indispensable Backfires,” by Mita Mallick

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org