When your boss asks for something impossible, saying yes destroys trust. Instead, explain the work involved, propose a realistic timeline, and own the outcome together. Honest collaboration earns respect where blind agreement only buys short-term approval.
You want to be liked? Say yes. Say yes to everything. But if you want to be trusted, say what's true, especially when it's uncomfortable to do so. So you just got hit with another urgent deadline. Another one. But deep down, you know that achieving it is pure fantasy. You've got so many other things to deliver. Here's what high-value managers do. They don't argue. They don't concede. They collaborate, they educate, they inform their counterpart, their stakeholder. Say this: "Before we agree this timescale, can I just walk you through what's involved, and then we can agree a realistic delivery date together?" What's wrong with that? It's candid, it's collaborative, it's kind. There it is. Now you're co-owning the outcome, not silently drowning under an unachievable deadline. And here's the kicker: your credibility isn't developed by simply saying yes all the time to a stakeholder or your boss. It comes from setting shared expectations and then committing to meeting them. Adding value— that's the thing, adding value. Communicating openly, honestly, collaboratively does that. Otherwise, you may win a short-term smile and approval but risk losing long-term trust and respect from the people that you want to please. Please don't let silence set you up for failure. Real high-performing managers say what needs to be said, but importantly, they help their counterparts actually want to listen to what's being said and then engage in something productive. Please give this a go.
Emotional Intelligence Training for Managers | The Hidden Cost of Low Self Awareness
