I am the office manager of our business, and I report directly to the owner. My boss (to me) needs encouragement and support – he gets discouraged and “down”. But when I ask about him joining us in taking the MBA Inventory and participating in the training, he says: “No thanks. I’m fine.” What can I do to get him involved?
Welcome to one of the harsh realities of life, Christina. Unfortunately, we can’t force anyone else to do anything – even if we think it would be ‘good for them’. So you have a choice – do nothing or do what you can. I vote for the latter. Although it appears you cannot currently convince your boss to be involved in the 5 Languages of Appreciation process, you and your team can model the behaviors for him, and let him see for himself the positive benefits that occur. I would strongly encourage you not to use words to coax or cajole him. Rather, go ahead and have your team take the inventory, work together on learning how to show appreciation to one another in the unique ways for each individual, and let him watch. For a variety of reasons, many men are “won over” by quiet actions rather than a constant barrage of words. Enjoy the process with your team!
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