Bypassing the Boss

The relationship you have with your manager is critical. It is your utmost responsibility to always meet your manager’s requirements. Unfortunately, this can sometimes place you in a very awkward position. Managers are not perfect and you don’t always agree with their requirements and decisions. When you have such a disagreement, common sense protocol tells you to discuss the matter with the manager and make well supported alternative recommendations. Unfortunately some managers are not reasonable. They think their way is the only way and tell you, “Do it my way, or else.” Now you feel trapped and think the only solution is to plead your case to higher authority. So, you bypass your manager and go directly to your manager’s boss. No, stop! This is one of the worst mistakes one could make in the workplace. Never ever bypass a manager and go to higher authority. This is the quickest way to get in trouble with your immediate boss. It sets up an element of mistrust that is sometime difficult, if not impossible to repair. When your manager wants you to do something and you have a different way of doing it, show how your manager will befit by doing it your way. If that fails, then ask yourself the LEM question: “Is my manager’s way of doing it Legal? Is it Ethical? Is it Moral?” If the answer to these three questions is “Yes,” then stop arguing. Just do it and move on to the next requirement.