Unit 20: Persuading Your Manager

Useful tips

If you want to ask for something special from yourmanager,you need to be wellprepared.
Be proactive.Ask your manager for a meeting to discuss what is on your mind.
Persuade, don't threaten.Decide what exactly you want and be prepared to justify your demands withlogical arguments,rather than emotional ones.
Be ready to negotiate.Think in advance about the best alternative to your preferred solution.
Remain polite.Whatever the result,always thank your manager for their time at the end of themeeting.Youstill have to work with them.

Conversation

Candy is a highly skilled programmer in a large software company. She wants to discuss an issue with her manager, John.

Candy:Hi John! Do you have a moment?
John:Sure,Candy.What can I do for you?
Candy: I'd like to schedule a meeting with you to talk about my position. When's a good time for you?
John: Er, well it's probably best if you fix a time with my secretary, OK?
Candy: Fine. I'll do that.

John: Come in,Candy,take a seat.Now,what can I do for you?
Candy: Well,I'd like to discuss my compensation package with you.
John: Really? I thought you were happy with the increase we gave you last year!
Candy: Yes,but I hope you'll agree that since last year I've achieved such a lot and we need to considerthese achievements.For example,I was responsible for organizing the conference in Astana lastmonth and…
…and finally,I managed the ISO 9001 audit,which we successfully completed.So,wouldn't youagree that my performance this year has been very successful?
John: Wellyes.But what exactly do you want?
Candy: Iunderstand that this year the pay increase is between 3 and 8 percent.I would like to ask foraraise at the top end of that scale.
John: Ooh! I don'tknow about that,Candy,Imean,what about the others?
Candy: If you look at my responsibilities in comparison to my colleagues, I am currently underpaid. Wouldn't you say this should be taken into consideration?
John: I'm not sure that that is really quite true.Candy.
Candy:Oh,I think so.I checked.Compared to programmersin other companies,I'm earning about 4 percent less than the market average.Here are the figures.
John: Are you saying you want to leave?
Candy:No,I just want you to know the background to my request,that's all.I'm sure you can see that itwouldn't be hard for me to get a better paid job elsewhere.
John: I see.
Candy:So,would you be willing to support my request for a higher wage increase?
John: Well,the problem is also your qualifications.Even though you are a fantastic programmer,you don'thave the qualifications on paper for me to justify to the HR department putting you into a highersalary level.
Candy: I thought that might be a problem.So,wouldn't it make sense for the company to invest insending me on an advanced programming skills course?The company benefits from my improvedskills,I have the necessary qualifications on paper and you could then justify to the HR departmentpaying me more.I hope you'll agree that that would be a win-win situation for everybody.
John: Hmm.I need to think about this idea.
Candy:Sure.I'll find a time for another meeting towards the end of the week with your secretary.But thanksfor your time today.I do appreciate that.

Understanding

Tick the statements that are true about Candy and John.
1.She agrees with her boss that she doesn't have the qualifications onpaper and accepts that this will mean she can't get a top-end pay rise.
2.She becomes emotional,telling him how much she loves her job.
3.She negotiates with regard to her lack of qualifications on paper.
4.She demands additional training.
5.She is polite and thanks her boss for his time.
6.She reminds him that he promised her a good pay rise last year.
7.She presents logical arguments on why should she receive a top-endpay rise.
8.She says that she will look for another job if he won't give her a payrise.
9.She schedules a meeting with her boss.
10.She stops by to see her boss unannounced.

Saying it accurately

Match the two halves of the sentences.
1.Ithink you'll agree that… A…a transfer to a different department.
2.I'd like to ask for... B…your time today.I do appreciate that.
3.Would you be willing to C…me to attend a management trainingcourse?
4.I'd like to schedule ameeting with you. D ...compensation package with you.
5.Wouldn't you say this should be … Emy proposal for unpaid leave is quiteconvincing.
6.I'd like to discuss my… F…support my request for extendedleave?
7.Wouldn't it make sense for… G…would be possible for me to extendmy paternity leave?
8.Thanks for… H…taken into consideration?
9.I thought that might be a problem. I …to discuss my position.
10.I wanted to ask you if it… J …,so perhaps you would consider thisproposal?