• 1 min read
How to Tell Your Boss They're Wrong - Tactfully
Strategies for disagreeing with your manager effectively: tailor your approach to their style, lead with curiosity, pick your battles wisely, and avoid reacting impulsively.
softskills links/readings
Original Article
Author: Harvard Business Review • Published: 4/22/2025
Link: Read original article →
tl;dr
Disagreeing with your manager requires tact and strategy. Tailor your approach to their style, lead with curiosity through open-ended questions, pick your battles, avoid impulsive reactions, and never gloat when you're proven right.
My Thoughts
Do:
- Tailor how you express disagreement to your manager’s style and priorities by observing how they react to others’ pushback
- Lead with curiosity and ask open-ended questions, like “Help me understand what factors are influencing this decision?” to foster collaboration
- Pick your battles and know when to back off, especially in lower-stakes situations
Don’t:
- React impulsively if your boss gets defensive; take a pause to ground yourself and calmly frame your feedback as supportive, not undermining
- Dig in your heels for the sake of it; stand firm but be open to alternatives and willing to find a middle ground
- Rub it in if you’re right and your boss didn’t listen; let them learn from their mistakes
This is my personal commentary on the original article. Please read the original article for the full context.