5 Ways to (Politely) Say No When Your Boss Asks You to Do Something Dumb
Just because someone’s in charge doesn’t mean their every request is worth doing exactly as asked.
By Jessica Stillman
We’ve all heard the expression “the customer is always right,” but in many workplaces the truth of things is closer to, “the boss is always right.” Everyone’s salary might ultimately depend on pleasing the customer, but in the tumult of everyday office life, it often feels more urgent to keep the boss happy.
But what if the boss asks you to do something that is in conflict with what’s best for the customer? Or what if what your manager wants is stupid, undoable, or simply a massive distraction from what you’re actually being paid to accomplish?
You can’t simply turn around and tell the person in charge, “No, that’s dumb,” or, “Get your own coffee, you condescending jerk.” But if you comply with the request, you’ll be wasting your time, damaging the company, or opening the door to performance-busting resentment.
It’s a tricky one, which is probably why someone took to question-and-answer site Quora to ask, “What is the best way to say no to your boss?” Luckily, Madeline Mann, director of people operations at blockchain startup Gem, was on…
