A tactful way to ask a difficult question

Primble

Hi

my company has recently been investing in new companies that we (my manager and i) will need to do the accounts work for. at the moment my manager prepares the management accounts and tax stuff but although she has said i will get more experience with preparing returns and doing payroll, id quite like to have one of the companies as me baby so to speak.

the thing is she has been there twice as long as me but there is just two of us and will be three companies. surely i could have a share so to speak?
iv got an appraisal in a couple of months should i wait until then or d it sooner?

slackda

I'd be aksing right now possibly mention that the review of your performance on your"baby" can be built into your appraisal.

Sounds like a sweet opp

Primble

yeah it would be good if i have the guts to ask. i don't like asking things that might seem like i'm out of place. i have enough issues asking to leave early even though i am in early every day and don't take a full lunch.

Rinske

I'd say go and ask, even if you just send a short email, your manager might say yes, giving you with some pretty nice stuff!

Anyways, if you're just sitting there with the two of you the email might seem odd, but it's a way of giving you the time to write and prepare for a reaction, rather than forcing the question out and making you stressed about asking it.

I often just quickly email my manager stuff, as she is quite busy, so it doesn't interrupt but also gives me time to write it, rather than popping the question out and not being able to adjust it, before sending.

Primble

email is a good idea, thanks. i just don't want to step on her toes. i just like status.

coojee

I'd just ask, if nothing else it shows you're keen to progress. Years ago when one of the managers at my firm left I asked if I could take over the college audits that she used to do. I never imagined that they'd say yes but they did (only cos no one else wanted to do them!) But they carried a lot of prestige within the firm and on the back of that they promoted me to Audit Manager (after a lot of pushing from me.) As an ACCA in an all ACA firm that was quite some achievement in those days and for that firm who had always looked down on ACCA's

If you don't ask you don't get!

Oh and by the way, I'm not a pushy person at all. It took some doing for me to ask for what I wanted.

Primble

maybe i'll email over the weekend...

blobbyh

Been viewing this with interest over the last week or so.

I don't think you need to be tactful with this since I don't think it's a difficult question. I'd outright ask "Can I have a quiet word please?" Self improvement is part and parcel of our daily working lives and any good manager should know and encourage this. Not that all managers are good managers!

Obvious I know, but ask and you still might not get what you want however if you don't ask, its 100% guaranteed you won't get what you want! Your boss might not ask you because they think you're happy doing what you're doing and if you don't say otherwise, how are they to know?!

taskey

i agree with blobby, they might think you are happy with the amount you are doing and not want to overload you.

if you dont ask, you will never know, and if they hand it to someone else, you willkick yourself

Good luck

Tracy

Primble

was all ready to but now don't think i deserve it as had been putting something in the wrong place, in my defence i've done it like that since i started so she must have taught me to do it like that. its just now we have kpis so they'd set up a budget with the cost somewhere else

Amie1977

I really think you should ask, even if you have made an error - that has now been rectified and lets face it unless we try new things we are never going to learn so....go for it.

Literally the worst they can say is now I don't think you'r ready for it but it will show them that you want to progress.

What you "deserve" doesn't come in to it - who ever gets what they deserve in business???

Go on, ask anyway, no harm can come from showing you want to moe forwards - even if they say no you may end doing new things but under supervision!

Rinske

I agree, ask for it.

Mistakes happen to everyone and it doesn't mean you don't deserve to try anymore at all! So go for it, ask your manager as it will show you are willing to progress and willing to learn new things!

PGM

blobbyh wrote: »

Been viewing this with interest over the last week or so.

I don't think you need to be tactful with this since I don't think it's a difficult question. I'd outright ask "Can I have a quiet word please?" Self improvement is part and parcel of our daily working lives and any good manager should know and encourage this. Not that all managers are good managers!

Obvious I know, but ask and you still might not get what you want however if you don't ask, its 100% guaranteed you won't get what you want! Your boss might not ask you because they think you're happy doing what you're doing and if you don't say otherwise, how are they to know?!

I agree, theres nothing to be afraid of when talking about your own career. Will show your manager you are ambitious and will hopefully set some plans in motion.

A-Vic

Hi

Also the other aspect is they might even be grateful of the offer and be overloaded themselves

Primble

there, i've done it, i have emailed my manager as I am off today having done dfs. i don't like asking in person to her as shes worked really hard and i don't want to step on her toes. i waffled so much and had to forse myself to press send. feel sick with nerves now.

Rinske

Don't worry!

I'm sure she appreciates the offer for help and if she thinks you're not ready, maybe she can start training you for the future!

Well done on the email, hope dfs went alright and now just relax and wait!

Primble

DFS went ok I think.

She said she was having the same idea, just need to get a couple of things straigtened out and then She will show me. Also doesn't want me to get bogged down with the subs when theres so much to learn in the big one. she's even wondering if we need more staff

Amie1977

Well at least it all sounds positive for you!! Well Done!
As they say if you don't ask you don't get!!!