What do you when your boss makes decisions you're not on board with?

Question

When your boss makes a decision you're not on board with, how do you relay that information to your own team?  My instinct is to express my frustration and let my team know that I'm not happy about a certain decision, but is it my responsibility as a manger to act like I'm OK with this management decision even though I'm not?

Anonymous · Answer

In a word, yes. Back the decision your manager has made. It is likely that they were hesitant or not initially supportive of a disruptive or negative decision as well, but they must communicate it, support it, and expression any concerns privately.

In this case an unpopular decision has been made. You'll need to clearly communicate the decision to your team, explain as much as you know about the background and details, and support it. Be transparent and committed, but absolutely be open to your team's questions. Explain as much as you can and then follow-up with your manager to get clarification. Keep the lines of communication open both ways in order to keep the team from getting distracted, but give feedback and ask questions so you can help others understand why the decision was made, even if they don't fully support it.

Sierra Modro · Answer

Previous companies I’ve worked for have had a term for this: Disagree and Commit. Some major companies even have the concept as one of their corporate values. 
Here’s a different way to look at it. If you do not commit, you are both sabotaging the initiative and you’re implying that you are smarter than the other manager and always know the right answer. Other people may see data you don’t and be making a decision based on information you don’t have. Help them to be successful and you will ultimately make yourself more successful. 
Disagree and commit.

What do you when your boss makes decisions you're not on board with?

You're invited.

See what women are sharing on Fairygodboss.