The subtle art of correcting your boss

09-08-2025

Unless you're at the very top of the food chain, you have to do a certain amount of managing upward, where you are trying to influence the decisions of the people above you in the org chart. This relationship can be particularly awkward when you have to fix a mistake or a false impression of your supervisor or someone else with a more senior role.
Of course, the degree of finesse required to correct your boss (or someone else in a higher rank) depends on the individual and the company culture. In an ideal environment, everyone in an organization is receptive to feedback and correction. I make sure to tell everyone on my team that I want to hear concerns and corrections as quickly as possible, because that is the only way that I can operate effectively.
If you're unsure of how well your feedback may be taken, though, there are a few things you can do.
When in doubt, ask
First off, don't assume that everyone in a more senior role is going to be prickly about being corrected. There are several factors that can influence people's willingness to accept corrections from others. When someone has a growth mindset, then they often accept critical feedback more willingly than when they see criticism as undermining their sense of their own talent. In addition, the more rigidly hierarchical the organization, the harder it is for people lower in the food chain to criticize those higher up.