Who's The Boss?

The "No" Man

Forget about adding your two cents to the conversation—The "No" Man doesn't want to hear your strategy ideas or consider a more modern email platform. If you ask him to do anything outside the status quo, then you already know the answer. Don't get caught up in his negativity, warns business expert Andrea Nierenberg, president of Nierenberg Consulting Group, a business communications company that aims to improve employee and client relationships. Start conversations by letting him speak first and asking open-ended questions: "Andy, what do you like about our current email platform?" This should start a dialogue in which you can offer an alternative. When he (predictably) bristles at the idea of something new, ask him to come up with a solution, so the conversation becomes about what you can do instead of what you can't.

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