The Right Way to Bring a Problem to Your Boss 5/3/20, 10:04 PM

DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS

The Right Way to Bring a Problem to

Your Boss
by Amy Gallo
December 05, 2014

Did your project come in $10,000 over budget? A rival poach your star performer?
Your competitor beat you to market with a new product? None of us likes to
deliver a difficult message, but when done correctly, it can be a valuable way to
build a trusting relationship with your boss.

You know that you should never bring a problem to your boss without a proposed
solution. But often we forget to frame the situation in a way that helps us garner
the necessary resources or approval to begin moving toward a solution.

Here are five steps to take the next time you need to deliver bad news.

1. Describe the problem. Provide a general overview of the problem, and show
the specific impact it has on your work and the company’s goals.

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“Stu, we’ve got a morale problem on our

tech team. Our recent employee survey
shows that 40% of our staff in Atlanta
doesn’t find their work rewarding or
challenging. If we don’t address this, we
might lose some of our best talent. We
can’t afford that at any time, but
especially now when we’re trying to release
the new system by Q1. I have a few ideas
I’d like to try, with your help and the
cooperation of HR. I think with the right
approach we can keep the team focused on
meeting the Q1 goal.”

2. Identify your solution or approach.

Explain how you’ve already tried to solve
the problem and what you’ve learned
from those attempts. Recommend a
specific approach, along with
alternatives, to provide your manager
with options. Clearly define each possible option, addressing the pros and cons,
and any potential risks or barriers. Explain the logic behind your recommended
approach. You want your manager to be aware that you’ve considered several
possible outcomes.

FURTHER READING
HBR Guide to Managing Up
and Across

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Book “It looks like we’d need to add two more

$19.95 managers to the project to meet the client’s
View Details latest round of requests. When I mentioned
this to Sarah during our conference call,
she didn’t respond. I’d like to go to
Cincinnati and meet with her to discuss
how we might renegotiate the contract. I
think seeing her face-to-face will make a big difference. Plus if I do it the week after
next, we’ll have just delivered on the second phase of the project and she’s likely to be
pleased. We could of course take the hard line and just say no to their requests and
then see what they come back with. But I’m afraid we’d be putting our future
relationship at risk. We could also just expand the team and do the work and see it as a
marketing investment. We’d likely win Sarah’s good graces and, as you know, she’s
well connected with many companies in our target group. But it may be more financial
risk than we’re willing to take on right now.”

3. Explain the implications. Consider the impact that your proposed solution will
have on yourself and others, including your manager. Be explicit about how your
idea will have far-reaching effects on the goals of the organization.

“If we put a formal process in place to track all sales leads, I can do a better job of
connecting the dots between the VPs who are meeting with potential customers. As you
know, the current approach worked well when we just had two VPs doing the calls, but
now we have over 20. This will increase their workload slightly, but it will be clearer to
them how to share lead information. It will also give senior leadership a better view
into the pipeline. It won’t take a week to pull together our sales dev reports, which
means you can be more responsive to requests from above.”

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4. Discuss the benefits. Focus your conversation on concrete examples of your

idea’s benefits. The specific features of the solution, or how it will be
implemented, are less important at this stage. If you have tested your approach
on a small scale with good results, share that information.

“Delivering the product in a smaller container in the Latin American market will
expand our customer base. We’ll be able to serve truckers with small rigs who go on
long hauls but don’t have room for the 20-gallon containers. Most of these truckers
haven’t bought our products before, so we have the opportunity to convert them to our
brand. They’ll also be able to pay cash, since the smaller container will be at a lower
price point. This is a real advantage in their cash-heavy economy. Carlos helped me
run a quick experiment with a small set of truckers in Panama, and the response was
overwhelmingly positive.”

5. Accept responsibility for the outcome. Demonstrate your commitment to

ensuring success. Work with your manager to develop a final action plan for
taking advantage of the opportunity you’ve presented.

“This rests squarely on my shoulders. In the unlikely event that we don’t convert
enough customers from this campaign, I’ll quickly move on to Plan B. But to get started
I’m going to reach out to Terry to get the e-mail list of current customers who have
opted-in. Then I’ll work with Ellen to draft the e-mail pitch. Once I’ve done that, I’d
like to get your help running it up the flagpole. Does that sound like a sensible plan to
you?”

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Next time you have to tell your boss that your team didn’t make its numbers or
that a client is upset with final product, don’t panic. Follow these five steps to help
your boss see you as a problem solver.

This post is excerpted from the HBR Guide to Managing Up and Across.

Amy Gallo is a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review and the author of
the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict at Work. She writes and speaks about
workplace dynamics. Follow her on Twitter at @amyegallo.

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1 COMMENTS

ANDRE' HARRELL 5 years ago

Very good pts!! I also think "TIMING" & "LOCATION".....are everything. It's best to get the problem to
your boss quickly/efficiently to avoid it moving to a "Crisis". Secondly, during a meeting in front of
peers and possibly his colleagues....not a good idea. Locate the "Bad News Meeting" in a location where
you can comfortably dialogue and share solutions in a safe environment.
Thanks for the post!
http://ah2andbeyond.com/social-responsibility-wiifm/

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