In and Around "Zero Point Five" Territory

"If you communicate things late, it automatically puts everyone on the defensive." I knew he was speaking from experience as the meeting he just left went very long - some key people were the last to learn about some important information and, well, things just unraveled from there.

Yet there's a balance between what to tell and when to tell it. After all, you can't just march into your boss's office and announce that there's a problem without having a solid plan for addressing it, can you?

Well, sometimes, you actually can. And sometimes, you actually have to.

Sometimes, because of the profile of the issue, your boss needs to know about a situation sooner rather than later, even though you don't have a solution already in hand.

It's my opinion that 9.5 times out of 10 your boss will thank you for the "head's up." But, in the event your boss lives in the "0.5" territory, try responding by saying something like this:

"I'm already working on it, boss, but I felt it important that you know about this ASAP. And you know what? I'm glad I told you."

Then, as long as you're there, ask your boss for his/her suggestions as to how best to handle the situation. Do a little brainstorming together, if possible. But even if you can't, probability says that your boss will give you some sort of helpful idea and will be duly impressed with your willingness to have a difficult conversation when needed.

And that's the moment when you quickly excuse yourself so you can go deal with the matter that brought you there in the first place.