21 Defense AT&L: March-April 2007 Turk is an independent management consultant. He is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and defense contractor. He has supported information technology projects, policy development and strategic planning projects for DoD, other federal agencies, and non-profit organizations. He is a frequent contributor to Defense AT&L. M A N A G E M E N T The Art of Managing Up Wayne Turk A bout 45 years ago, a satirical play (later a movie) called How to Succeed in Business Without Re- ally Trying opened on Broadway. It offered a method of moving up in the executive suite that included a little murder and a lot of mishap. There are better ways (even if you do have a boss you’ve fantasized about murdering). One of those methods is managing up. According to Thomas Zuber and Erika James, “managing up is the process of consciously working with your boss to obtain the best possible results for you, your boss, and your organization. This is not political maneu- vering or kissing up. Rather, it is a deliberate effort to bring understanding and cooperation to a relationship between individuals who often have different perspectives.” Management or Manipulation? Managing up or managing the boss sounds good in the- ory, but isn’t it just another term for manipulating the boss or being the boss’s toady? No! Managing the boss is a way to have a win-win-win situation where everyone, including the organization and project, wins. Failure to manage the boss can result in misunderstandings about expectations and cause wasted time and effort on tasks not in line with organizational goals or the project’s needs. And looking at it from a purely self-serving perspective, career progress rarely happens if you don’t manage your boss successfully. Team member, project manager, or program manager— you have a boss, or in most cases, multiple bosses. You have to worry about those bosses and their needs. Hav- ing more than one boss makes work more difficult be- cause you have to consider the needs or preferences of each of them. But it’s still doable. If you are a manager at any level, you have to think about managing both up and down. Some managers pay at- tention to managing either their own bosses or those peo- ple who report to them. It is the managers who only man- age up who give managing the boss a less-than-stellar reputation. They appear to be the suck-ups or toadies; subordinates assume they don’t care about them and may withhold their respect or slack off in their work. On the other hand, the ones who only manage down can’t advocate for their team or gain buy-ins for the project’s endeavors from those up the chain. Successful managers pay attention to managing both directions and commu- nicating with their peers. In this article, I will deal with managing up. If you are cu- rious about successfully managing down, see “10 Rules for Success as a Manager” (Defense AT&L, August-Sep- tember 2004). Guidelines for Managing Up Commu.

1. 21 Defense AT&L: March-April 2007
Turk is an independent management consultant. He is a retired
Air Force lieutenant colonel and defense contractor. He has
supported information
technology projects, policy development and strategic planning
projects for DoD, other federal agencies, and non-profit
organizations. He is a frequent
contributor to Defense AT&L.
M A N A G E M E N T
The Art of Managing Up
Wayne Turk
A
bout 45 years ago, a satirical play (later a movie)
called How to Succeed in Business Without Re-
ally Trying opened on Broadway. It offered a
method of moving up in the executive suite that
included a little murder and a lot of mishap.
There are better ways (even if you do have a boss you’ve
fantasized about murdering). One of those methods is
managing up. According to Thomas Zuber and Erika James,
“managing up is the process of consciously working with
your boss to obtain the best possible results for you, your
boss, and your organization. This is not political maneu-
vering or kissing up. Rather, it is a deliberate effort to bring
understanding and cooperation to a relationship between
individuals who often have different perspectives.”

2. Management or Manipulation?
Managing up or managing the boss sounds good in the-
ory, but isn’t it just another term for manipulating the
boss or being the boss’s toady? No! Managing the boss is
a way to have a win-win-win situation where everyone,
including the organization and project, wins. Failure to
manage the boss can result in misunderstandings about
expectations and cause wasted time and effort on tasks
not in line with organizational goals or the project’s needs.
And looking at it from a purely self-serving perspective,
career progress rarely happens if you don’t manage your
boss successfully.
Team member, project manager, or program manager—
you have a boss, or in most cases, multiple bosses. You
have to worry about those bosses and their needs. Hav-
ing more than one boss makes work more difficult be-
cause you have to consider the needs or preferences of
each of them. But it’s still doable.
If you are a manager at any level, you have to think about
managing both up and down. Some managers pay at-
tention to managing either their own bosses or those peo-
ple who report to them. It is the managers who only man-
age up who give managing the boss a less-than-stellar
reputation. They appear to be the suck-ups or toadies;
subordinates assume they don’t care about them and
may withhold their respect or slack off in their work. On
the other hand, the ones who only manage down can’t
advocate for their team or gain buy-ins for the project’s
endeavors from those up the chain. Successful managers
pay attention to managing both directions and commu-
nicating with their peers.
In this article, I will deal with managing up. If you are cu-

3. rious about successfully managing down, see “10 Rules
for Success as a Manager” (Defense AT&L, August-Sep-
tember 2004).
Guidelines for Managing Up
Communicate. And make sure the communication is two-
way. Most of the guidelines in this article are related to
communication. Good communications skills are the basis
for being able to succeed in almost every situation. Com-
munication with the boss can be verbal or written. Some
bosses are readers, meaning they prefer to receive infor-
mation in written form. Others are listeners, meaning
they prefer to get their information verbally. In DoD, get-
ting information to your boss may be a briefing from you
to him (and others). Listeners need to hear the informa-
tion first, then they can consume a written version. Read-
ers want the story on paper first so that they have some
time to digest and understand the issue before meeting
to discuss it. If you want your ideas to be heard, under-
stood, and acted upon, make it easy for your boss by
communicating in the manner with which he is most
comfortable. You’ll be meeting your boss’s needs as well
as your own. But make sure that the communication is
two-way. You have to understand the boss’s wants and
decisions. Listen and ask questions if you aren’t sure.
Then it is a good idea to feed it back to confirm that you
got it right.
No surprises—don’t surprise the boss. Even good sur-
prises can backfire on you. Most readers can cite exam-
ples of bringing the boss what they thought was good
news, only to find out later that it that it wasn’t so good
after all. Let her know what is happening with the pro-

4. ject on a regular basis so that she can brief her boss. It
may be a quick meeting in her office; a daily, weekly, or
monthly e-mail; or some other exchange. Full-blown in-
terim progress reports (formal meetings to discuss the
project status) on a regular schedule can help make sure
that neither of you is surprised.
Provide solutions, not problems. There are going to be
problems with your project. Every project has them. But
when you let your boss know about those problems, give
him your proposed solution(s). That shows him that you
have thought the situations through. There are supervi-
sors who seem to want to hear only good news; they don’t
want to hear about problems. Those bosses represent a
particular challenge. It is up to you to help your boss face
problems head on with courage and innovation. For the
good of the project and the organization, you must com-
municate problems and failures with the successes, but
do so delicately and appropriately. That’s when provid-
ing him proposed solutions to the problems can really
pay off.
Be honest and trustworthy. Dishonesty, covering up prob-
lems or failures, and trying to sweep things under the rug
will only hurt you and the project in the long run. The
truth will come out eventually. Bad news doesn’t get any
better with age. A key element in managing your boss is
building trust by being trustworthy. Most people are de-
pendable, hardworking, and have a desire to do a good
job, but because of misunderstandings or mismatched
priorities, some end up inappropriately labeled as prob-
lem children. To avoid that label, maintain your honesty
and dependability. One way of doing this is honoring
commitments, project schedules, constraints, and sus-
penses. The best way is just honest and forthright com-
munication.

5. Defense AT&L: March-April 2007 22
Be loyal and committed. She’s your boss and you owe
her your loyalty and commitment, and she owes you her
support. If you don’t do your part, chances are that she
won’t do hers. And that’s bad for you and the project.
Understand your boss’s perspective and agenda. That
way, you can align your priorities with your boss’s prior-
ities. Put yourself in his shoes. While many people think
that they have an understanding of their boss’s goals and
pressures, they don’t always understand the strengths,
weaknesses, aspirations, and work styles of their super-
visors, or the pressures and constraints on them. Exploring
these will help you identify commonalities you never
knew existed and gain a little insight on how to better in-
teract effectively with your boss.
Understand your boss’s preferences and try to conform
to them. If she wants a daily report on what has been ac-
complished, give it to her. If she wants the big picture and
not the details, give it to her that way. If she wants some-
thing in a specific format, give it to her. That doesn’t mean
that you can’t try to show her a better way, but remem-
ber to use tact and diplomacy. If you get crosswise with
your boss, even over something minor, you may never
be able to undo the damage.
One of the worst mistakes you can make is to assume
you know what your boss expects. Many bosses don’t
spell out their expectations, and the burden of discovery
falls to you. If he doesn’t give you the information that
you need, initiate one or a series of informal discussions
on “our” objectives. This can help your boss clarify and
communicate his ideas, plans, and needs to you; and it

6. gives you the chance to communicate your own ideas as
well. Together, set realistic expectations that you both
agree on. They include expectations on schedule, costs,
and the final product. The emphasis is on “realistic.” Don’t
set expectations too high or you will ruin your credibility
when they are not met. Don’t intentionally set them low.
That won’t help you either.
Understand your own management style and take re-
sponsibility for its effect on others. Developing an effec-
tive working relationship with your boss requires that you
understand yourself and your management style. Rec-
ognize your own strengths, weaknesses, goals, and per-
sonal needs; how you respond to being managed; and
how others respond to you. Be aware of the effect that
you have on others and their reaction to you, especially
those under you. If you don’t, you could be in for a sur-
prise when you meet with the boss, especially at appraisal
time. She probably talks with some of your people and
has an idea of their reactions to you.
Depend on your boss’s strengths and use them. You need
to determine his strengths. Whether those strengths are
communication, seeing the big picture, resource man-
agement, new ideas, or something else, go to your boss
for his expertise. Get him to use his particular skills for
the project. Remember, though, that time is a precious
commodity for most managers. Effectively managing
your boss requires that you respect his time. Every re-
quest made of the boss uses up his time and resources,
so make sure your requests are necessary. Use his
strengths, but if you can do it yourself, don’t waste his
time.

7. Recognize your boss’s weaknesses and compensate for
them. She is not going to be good at everything. It is up
to you to figure out where she’s weak and provide your
support in those areas. You might just want to intention-
ally try doing something to make life easier for your boss.
Maybe you can build the slides for her briefings, track the
finances, monitor the schedule, or provide the support
that she needs in some area. Perhaps your boss will spend
that extra time or effort that you saved her to advocate
for your project’s needs.
Be aware of your manager’s hot buttons and pet peeves.
Is it being late to meetings or not contributing, sloppy
memos or e-mails, swearing, a loud radio? Sounds obvi-
ous, but whatever they are, consider them land mines to
be avoided. Ignoring them (or not understanding them)
can sour your relationship with the boss. And that can
mean an unsuccessful project because you didn’t get the
support that you needed—or worst case, it can be career
suicide for you.
Request feedback—and learn to accept it. Request peri-
odic feedback if you aren’t getting it. Don’t wait for the
annual appraisal to find out the boss’s opinion of you and
your work. If you get bad feedback, discuss your con-
cerns, but do it on a mature level, not emotionally or con-
frontationally. As in a marriage, the best approach is non-
adversarial. Listen to what he says and try to act on it.
23 Defense AT&L: March-April 2007
The author welcomes comments and questions. Con-
tact him at [email protected] or [email protected]
sussconsulting.com.

8. Don’t go over the boss’s head or behind her back. That
is not the way to manage up and can permanently ruin
the relationship with the boss. Go to her first. If it is some-
thing very serious and she does nothing, you might have
to go over her head. In some cases she may be the seri-
ous problem and you can’t confront her. But going over
her head should be a last resort only if:
• Your project is on the line, and there is an urgent prob-
lem that your manager continues to ignore
• Your boss is doing something illegal
• Your boss has a serious physical illness, mental illness,
or substance abuse problem that you are aware of
• Your boss is doing something (e.g., sexual harassment
or contracting irregularities) that could lead to a lawsuit
and/or bad publicity.
In such cases, be very careful to keep the information
highly confidential, discussing it with only anyone who
needs to know. Document your conversation with that
person in an e-mail or memo for the record, and save a
copy for yourself. And always remember to tread care-
fully. You could be mistaken.
Managing Up: An Essential Tool
“[Managing up] sounds simple, but managers, and every-
one else, need to learn this basic concept,” says Richard
L. Knowdell, author of Building a Career Development Pro-
gram: Nine Steps for Effective Implementation. “If we want
someone to understand what we have to say, we must
learn to speak their language, rather than expect them to
learn ours.” By learning your boss’s “language” you can
accomplish what you need, help the boss succeed, and
make the project and the organization a success.

9. Adam Khan says in Self Help Stuff That Works, that the
way to manage up is to treat your boss like your liege
lord. He says that by making that your attitude, it changes
the whole environment. “Your attitude toward a person
creates that person. Interact with someone with a chip
on your shoulder and the person will usually respond de-
fensively. Approach someone with friendliness and co-
operation and the person is likely to respond in kind. We
play a part in creating the way someone treats us.” Ex-
cellent advice.
Too many people perceive that managing up is brown-
nosing or trying to curry favor with the boss. They con-
sider it manipulative. But it’s not. Being rebellious or ad-
versarial, or stonewalling the boss won’t get you or your
project anywhere. Managing up is one of the tools to en-
gender success.
SafaricomRubric for Case Notes:Safaricom: Innovative Telecom
Solution
s to Empower KenyansWeek 3 Scoring Criteria for Levels of
Performance Skill Development Case Analysis
TasksLearning Outcomes Concepts and
Analytical ToolsBelow Expectations: Shows no
evidence of or significant gaps in understandingMeets
Expectations: Demonstrates acceptable level of
understanding and competencyExceeds Expectations:

10. Demonstrates high level of understanding and competency and
makes relevant contributionsScore - 100 pointsEarned
ScoreDCBB+A-ASituation AnalysisReview and synthesize facts
of the caseDiscussion of general environment (use PESTEL
Model)Analysis excludes some of the relevant segments in the
general environment that have an impact on the company's
strategy selection.Analysis includes significant segments in the
general environment that have an impact on the company's
strategy selection.Analysis thoroughly describes the relevant
segments in the general environment that have an impact on the
company's strategy selection.30Demonstrate command of
relevant concepts and analytical tools applicable to the
caseDiscussion of the competitive environment and identify
competitors. (Use Porter's 5 forces Model)Analysis is an
insufficient comparison of the industry's major competitors
and/or exposure of the threats posed by Safaricom's rivals. 3 or
less of the industry forces were identified. 2 or less primary
competitors were identified and summarized.Analysis is a
sufficient comparison of the industry's major competitors and
expose of the threats posed by Safaricom's rivals. 4 or more of
the industry forces were identified. 3 or more primary
competitors were identified and summarized.Analysis is a
strong comparison of the industry's major competitors and
expose of the threats posed by Safaricom's rivals. All 5 of the
industry forces were identified. 4 or more primary competitors

11. were identified and summarized.30Evaluate and discuss the
organization's current situation or existing industry
conditionsAnalyze the external forces and determine 5 threats
and 5 opportunities.Identified 3 or less threats and 3 or less
opportunitiesCorrectly identified 4 or more threats and 4 or
more opportunitiesCorrectly identified 5 or more threats and 5
or more opportunities and provided a succinct explanation for
each.10Identify conclusions that can be drawn from the
analysisDescribe the firm's next move in terms of growth and
expansion and make recommendationsAnalysis provides limited
or no recommendations for growth and expansion.Anaysis
describes at least 3 significant components of Safaricom's
competitive advantage and makes at least 2 recommendations
for growth.Anaysis describes at least 3 or more significant
components of Safaricom's competitive advantage and makes at
least 3 recommendations for growth.10Deliver analysis,
conclusions and recommendations in a well-written analysis
paperUses written report to communicate assessment and
proposed business strategyFair to poor writing skills used to
discuss the case analysis topics. Numerous errors in grammar
usage, spelling, punctuation and sentence/paragraph structure
that are significantly distracting for the reader. Good writing
skills used to discuss the case analysis topics. Some errors in
grammar usage, spelling, punctuation and sentence/paragraph
structure - but not significantly distracting Excellent writing

12. skills used to discuss the case analysis topics. Few to no errors
in grammar usage, spelling, punctuation and sentence/paragraph
structure20Evaluator Comments
Weight
1
http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/boss_r
elations.htm
How to Get Along With Your Boss
By Susan M. Heathfield
At one point or another in your career, you will report to a
manager, the person you fondly - or
not - call boss. The relationships that you create and manage,
with both your immediate boss,
and other company employees, are critical for your work
success and career progress.

13. And, face it, whether you like it or not, you're in charge of your
relationship with your boss. No
one will ever share as much concern as you do that the quality
of the relationship helps you
achieve your goals. At the same time, your boss has information
that you need to succeed. He
can't do his job or accomplish his goals without your help.
So, your manager shares a critical interdependence with you. If
you don't accomplish your work,
your manager will never shine for his or her overall
responsibilities. You won't progress without
the information, perspective, experience, and support of your
manager.
Despite knowing this, managers do come in every size and with
all possible levels of skill and
effectiveness. Some managers are just plain bad bosses; others

14. are unaware of what you need
from them. Managing up is challenging, but ultimately, worth
your time.
How to Develop an Effective Relationship With Your Boss
These steps will help you develop a positive, ongoing,
supportive relationship with your boss - a
relationship that serves you well, your manager well, and, as a
consequence, your organization
well.
relationship with your boss.
Relationships are based on trust.
Do what you say you'll do. Keep timeline commitments. Never
blind side your manager
with surprises that you could have predicted or prevented. Keep
her informed about your

15. projects and interactions with the rest of the organization.
Tell the boss when you've made an error or one of your
reporting staff has made a
mistake. Cover-ups don't contribute to an effective relationship.
Lies or efforts to mislead
always result in further stress for you as you worry about
getting "caught" or somehow
slipping up in the consistency of your story. Communicate daily
or weekly to build the
relationship.
Get to know your manager as a person - she is one, after all.
She shares the human
experience, just as you do, with all of its joys and sorrows.

16. http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/boss_r
elations.htm
http://humanresources.about.com/bio/Susan-M-Heathfield-
6016.htm
http://humanresources.about.com/od/badmanagerboss/a/boss_co
mments.htm
http://humanresources.about.com/od/badmanagerboss/a/bad_bos
s.htm
http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/play_w
ell.htm
http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/trust_r
ules.htm
2
boss's needs at the center
of your universe. Identify your boss's areas of weakness or
greatest challenges and ask
what you can do to help. What are your boss's biggest worries;

17. how can your contribution
mitigate these concerns?
Understand your boss's goals and priorities. Place emphasis in
your work to match her
priorities. Think in terms of the overall success of your
department and company, not just
about your more narrow world at work.
ust
about every boss has both
good points and bad. When you're negative about your boss, the
tendency is to focus on
his worst traits and failings. This is neither positive for your
work happiness nor your
prospects for success in your organization.

18. Instead, compliment your boss on something he does well.
Provide positive recognition
for contributions to your success. Make your boss feel valued.
Isn't this what you want
from him for you?
change,
but the person who shows up
to work every day has taken years and years of effort on her
part to create. And, who your
boss is has worked for her in the past and reinforced her actions
and beliefs.
Instead of trying to change your boss, focus instead, on trying
to understand your
boss's work style. Identify what she values in an employee.
Does she like frequent

19. communication, autonomous employees, requests in writing in
advance of meeting, or
informal conversation as you pass in the hallway. Your boss's
preferences are important
and the better you understand them, the better you will work
with her.
a helpful approach to
communicate more effectively with him. There are times when
you don't want to
introduce new ideas; if he is preoccupied with making this
month's numbers, your idea
for a six month improvement may not be timely.
Problems at home or a relative in failing health affect each of
your workplace behaviors

20. and openness to an improvement discussion. Additionally, if
your boss regularly reacts in
the same way to similar ideas, explore what he fundamentally
likes or dislikes about your
proposals.
feel
like it, your boss has much
to teach you. Appreciate that she was promoted because your
organization found aspects
of her work, actions, and/or management style worthwhile.
Promotions are usually the result of effective work and
successful contributions. So, ask
questions to learn and listen more than you speak to develop an
effective relationship

21. with your boss.
http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryp/g/promotion.htm
http://humanresources.about.com/od/delegation/qt/management-
styles.htm
http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryp/g/promotion.htm
http://humanresources.about.com/cs/communication/ht/receivefe
edback.htm
3
coach and mentor.
Remember that your boss can't read your mind. Enable him to
offer you recognition for
your excellent performance. Make sure he knows what you have
accomplished. Create a

22. space in your conversation for him to praise and thank you.
ast, a weekly
meeting during which you are
prepared with a list of what you need and your questions. This
allows him to accomplish
work without regular interruption.
your boss's and the
company's overarching goals. When making proposals to your
boss, try to see the larger
picture. There are many reasons why your suggestion may not
be adopted: resources,
time, goals, and vision. Maintain strict confidentiality.
ip with your boss you will sometimes

23. disagree and occasionally
experience an emotional reaction. Don't hold grudges. Don't
make threats about
leaving. Disagreement is fine; discord is not. Get over it. You
need to come to terms with
the fact that your boss has more authority and power than you
do. You are unlikely to
always get your way.
Use these tips to build a powerfully effective relationship with
your boss.
http://humanresources.about.com/cs/communication/ht/Feedbac
kimpact.htm
http://humanresources.about.com/od/coachingmentoring/a/coach
ing.htm
http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryv/g/Vision.htm

24. 4
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141012174620-
22475569-when-how-to-disagree-with-the-boss?trk=tod-home-
art-list-small_2
When & How to Disagree With the Boss
Oct 12 2014
Paul Glover; Co-Founder at DICE-T
One of the frequent questions I’m asked by the
managers/leaders I coach is “How do I
effectively disagree with my boss?” Knowing how to disagree
with your boss, and not commit
career suicide, is an essential skill set and falls under the
category of learning to “manage up.”
While most managers/leaders are able to manage down – at least
a majority of the time- being

25. able to effectively “manage up” is a much more difficult for the
obvious reason: the boss not
only has significant control over the day to day operation and
can make a subordinate’s work life
miserable but they also exercise considerable influence over a
subordinate’s future with the
company. Therefore, -duh- making the boss an enemy is never a
good career move.
However, with that said, it is a manager’s/leader’s obligation, to
both their boss and the
organization, to have a well thought out opinion about
situations/issues/problems, that is
supported by facts and gut instinct, and then to timely and
effectively express that opinion to
their boss – even if it is not the opinion held by the boss.
Failing to do this is a disservice to the
boss, whose opinion might be changed if they heard a well

26. thought out and appropriately
expressed different point of view, and a failure to properly
represent the organization that gives
them a paycheck. So, my counsel is: once your opinion has been
formulated you should not
change that opinion or be reluctant to express it just because the
boss disagrees or may not like it.
However, how you deliver your opinion is paramount to having
your opinion heard without
having potentially toxic fallout. So, before you inadvertently
commit career suicide, consider
these Rules for disagreeing with the Boss and surviving the
experience:
1. Never disrespect your Boss! Regardless of how vehemently
you disagree with your
Boss, always treat him/her with the respect due them as a
person and as the person

27. holding the position of authority and responsibility. Conversely,
you are entitled to that
same degree of respect from your Boss.
2. Never disagree with your Boss in public! Unless you want to
get fired. Or your
judgment is so impaired you should get fired!
3. Express your disagreement directly to your Boss! When you
disagree with the Boss,
immediately take that disagreement directly to the Boss. Don’t
express your disagreement
with your Boss to your team or co-workers. This behavior
serves no legitimate purpose
because: 1. Only the Boss can change his/her opinion, 2. The
person you are complaining
to may tell the Boss you are complaining about them, and 3.
Your complaining will erode
the team’s morale.

28. 4. Choose the right time to disagree with the Boss! We all react
with varying degrees of
defensiveness when facing disagreement. And the higher the
stress level at the time of the
disagreement, the less likely the reasons for the disagreement
will be properly heard.
Disagreeing with your Boss in the middle of a presentation or
client meeting serves no
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141012174620-
22475569-when-how-to-disagree-with-the-boss?trk=tod-home-
art-list-small_2
5
purpose since the Boss will seldom react in a positive manner.
Disagree only when there
is an opportunity for you to talk to the Boss about the basis for
the disagreement.

29. 5. Don’t make the disagreement personal! Make the
disagreement about the Boss and you
vs. the problem and not the Boss vs. you. Be professional,
objective, constructive and -
above all - respectful as you express the reason for disagreeing.
And offer alternative
solutions along with the disagreement.
6. Be sure the Boss can handle your disagreement! Some Bosses
don’t want any
opposition or disagreement, regardless of how poorly they are
managing a situation. If
the seriousness of the situation warrants it, go to your Boss’s
Boss to raise the issue that
provides the basis for your disagreement. Remember, you
ultimately owe your allegiance
to the organization and not your Boss. Nobody above your
Boss? Or nobody above your
Boss who will listen? See Rule # 7 below.

30. 7. It may be time to leave! If you follow these Rules and are not
heard, it may be time to
quit working for your Boss.
Any other advice for disagreeing with your Boss and living to
tell about it?