position. Retire in good order and re-open your campaign at
the right moment.DEALING WITH PROBLEMS
Things are going wrong. You’ve made a mistake. You need your
boss’ help in sorting out a problem. How do you tackle him or
her? You should adopt the following approach.
■ Keep your boss informed. Never let them be taken by sur -
prise. Prepare them in advance for the bad news. If ‘troubles
come not in single spies but in battalions’, don’t let them
have it all at once. Let them down as gently as possible. Don’t
use the ‘first the good news, then the bad news’ line too
crudely, but don’t be too gloomy. Give them hope.
■ If something has gone wrong, explain what has happened,
why it has happened (no excuses) and what you would like
to do about it. Don’t dump the problem in their lap in a ‘take
it or leave it’ spirit.
■ Emphasize that you are seeking their views on what you
propose, as well as their agreement.
■ If you think your boss is to blame, never say ‘I told you so’. If
you do, you will make an enemy for life.
■ If you admit responsibility, try to stop your boss keeping on
at you. Steer him or her away from recriminations into a
positive attitude on what you can jointly do to solve the
problem.
IMPRESSING YOUR BOSS
Your purpose as a manager is not solely to impress your boss.
Nor is it to make them like you. But you will get more done and
get on better if you impress them. And why make an enemy of
your boss when you can have him or her as a friend?
Your boss needs to trust you, to rely upon you and to believe in
your capacity to come up with good ideas and to make things
happen. He or she doesn’t want to wet-nurse you or to spend
time correcting your mistakes or covering up.
140 How to be an Even Better Manager