How to Get Your Boss to Say Yes at Work - The Muse

How to Get Your Boss to Say Yes at Work - The MuseHow to Get Your Boss to Say Yes at Work Remember the last time your boss told you, No?Maybe it was a response to your request for a raise, or perhaps it was when you asked if you could expense a professional development class. Regardless of why your ask wasnt met with approval, it sucked, right? Being turned down is not only disappointing, but it can also feel like a personal rejection, which can really sting. While its inevitable that youll be occasionally hear No, when youre looking for a Yes, (or at least a Maybe), there are things you can do to reduce how often you hear it. binnensee if any of following reasons are getting in the way of you hearing, Yes, of course1. You Forgot to Check the CalendarYou really shouldnt underestimate the power of timing. Maybe when you burst into your managers office with the announcement that you wished to be included on the latest marketing project, you caught her at a particularly bad time. Her te nse phone call with the executive team didnt go as planned, and now shes in no mood to hear your proposal. Or perhaps you didnt consider that his mood takes a turn for the worse in the last hour before lunch and its really not ideal to approach him until after hes finished eating. Its an easy fix Use your offices scheduling tools- whether its Google calendar, Outlook, or pen and paper- to find a time when your boss isnt slammed. Even if youre totally pumped about what youre planning on asking (and want to ask ASAP), take a second to think about how important timing can be- will approaching him or her right after the budget planning meeting really be the best time to ask about expensing that class youve had your eye on? Probably not. If you want that thumbs up, plan ahead (and be patient).2. You Didnt Do Your HomeworkAnother likely way to get a flat no is if you fail to support your case. Say you want to work from home once a week. Well, you should be prepared to answer the five Ws ( who, what, when, where, why) that are bound to come up.If you come prepared with facts- maybe its studies stating productivity increases after working remotely- and details on execution (Ill be online during office hours and provide a daily completed task list before signing off for the night), youll make it easier to get your idea approved. Along with answering the 5 Ws, you need to brainstorm possible objections or questions and formulate how youll answer them and how youll turn a refusal into an approval. The last thing you need is for your boss to agree to all points of your proposal, only to tie you up with one pointed question (that you arent prepared to answer) like, How will you complete your monthly analytics report that requires sensitive data thats not allowed out of the office? Maybe the answer is as simple as creating a mock schedule to show how youd make your work from home days compatible with your responsibilities, but the point is you should be prepared to address a ny potential pitfalls to your plan and any objections before you begin the conversation.3. You Didnt Leave Your BubbleYou may think that keeping your request private is best practiceand in some cases youd be absolutely right. But, for some things, it can be beneficial to talk to your co-workers before you ask. If you dont directly work with other teams, you may not realize that the marketing project youre trying to get underway is being addressed in two days at the company-wide meeting. Speaking to Stan, whos on the engineering team (instead of marching into your managers office with your ask), would have given you much-needed information. And that raise youre after? If youd confided in your work wife, you may have learned about the hiring freeze and financial issues that your department is struggling with right now. Getting out of your bubble and listening to outside perspectives from co-workers (or even friends and relatives) can help inform your plan on how- and when- to approach your boss and get a yes. Maybe youve tried approaching your manager using the advice above and still got turned down. Its frustrating, but before you attribute the negative response to him not liking you, or because hes being a bad boss, think about how you can best handle the rejection. Let your manager know that youre disappointed (without sounding like youre complaining), and ask her if theres anything you can do going forward that would change the decision. Sometimes therell be nothing you can do, but it never hurts to ask. And it definitely doesnt hurt to stay professional and respectful while youre doing it.Photo of man with clasped hands courtest of Sam Edwards/Getty Images.