“I won’t do things that way. You have to do it my way. You don’t have the guts to fire me,” the company President told the CEO after a long loud discussion about the direction the company was going. The CEO left and took a 30 minute timeout. Upon returning the boss said, “Do you want to say anything?” The answer, “No. I’m right.” The reply was, “You’re fired. You have half an hour to clean out your desk.”
The guy was shocked. In his heart of hearts he knew he was right so he made a few calls to shareholders to get support. In half an hour the boss returned and said, “I gave you half an hour and you are not gone yet. You can walk to the door with me now, or I can call the police.”
Here’s the mistakes this real person made:
- He challenged his boss’s authority
- He called his boss a coward
- No apology was offered for vicious insubordination
- An open attempt to create a mutiny was started
- There was no backing down or offer of compromise.
How do you deal with your boss’s mistakes? I admit I have done every single one of these wrong things to a boss or two of mine in the past. Luckily my rebellion was much milder. I never got fired for it. I didn’t get promoted either.
Some great ways to confront your boss are in How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie. You’ll find it enlightening.
Something To Do Today
Don’t see if you can get fired.
Read How To Win Friends And Influence People
Cynicism is not realistic and tough. It’s unrealistic and kind of cowardly because it means you don’t have to try. (Noonan)
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Later: How to leave your job
A successful email