My manager gave me a project I don’t believe in: What should I do?

We’ve all been there—and if you haven’t, you will at some point. One day, your boss comes to work, eyes glistening, head held high, with what they believe to be the idea of the century. And it’s you, faithful lieutenant, who’s going to lead this new mission. However, as they enthusiastically explain their idea, this project of the century soon becomes the headache of the year for you. It’s simple: you just don’t believe in it. And, therefore, you’re not exactly eager to knuckle down with the task. However, before you know it, your boss is already brandishing a deadline…

How on earth are you going to deal with this mess? How do you engage with a project that you don’t believe in? Where do you find motivation? Can you say no? Should you tell your manager that their idea is bad and try to make them see sense? Or on the contrary, should you just trust them? Don’t panic. We’re here to help you take a step back and get through this.

The first question to ask: Why don’t you believe in it?

It’s important to answer this question because your response will help guide what to do next. As occupational psychologist Adrien Chignard explains, “What we’re investigating here is three things about the work: the understanding of the message, the direction that we may endorse or not, and any feelings we have about the received instructions. Does this task appeal to you or are you put off by it?”

Let’s start with some self-reflection to identify what it is that bothers you about the project:

• Have you not entirely understood what’s been asked of you?
• Do you think the idea is unfeasible in terms of time frames and the resources given, or do you think it’s bad in principle? Will it not produce the intended outcome?
• Do you not endorse the values behind the idea? Does it all make you feel uneasy?

“Ask yourself what category your feelings fall into,” Chignard says.

Is it such a bad idea after all?

Despite not being experts in non-violent communication, you’ll have probably noticed that exercising a bit of diplomacy is best when trying to win someone over. Therefore, avoid dismissing the idea outright and start by seeking further clarification, asking your manager open-ended questions. Starting with, “I’m not sure I fully understand what you’re expecting from me,” can be a good way of starting a conversation with your boss without making them feel cornered.

With regard to this point, Chignard points to the basic principles of Jakobson’s model of interpersonal communication: “In terms of interpersonal communication, there is the delivered message, the received message, and the communication noise between the two that can give rise to misunderstandings. It’s therefore important to create feedback loops—repeating and reformulating—to be sure that we’ve properly understood the task.”

Therefore, start by asking your boss for clarification on the aims: the ‘why’ of the project. What need is it supposed to address? You can then question the method and the means of implementing it: this allows you to quickly anchor the project in reality (and therefore, confront its feasibility). By the end of this exchange, you should be able to complete the following sentence: “This project will allow us to achieve X result by using X means in X amount of time”.

You can also discuss this with other trusted colleagues to share your points of view and understanding of the project.

Whether you now see the project in a more favorable light, or your skepticism has been confirmed, it’s now time to come up with reasoning to dismiss this (bad) idea.

Show, comment, propose

This exercise calls for a bit more nuance than simply making your boss realize they’re wrong. The goal is more about showing them that our questioning of the project is a constructive endeavor: we’re also invested in our work and want to contribute, and not just blindly follow instructions.

“To get a tricky message across in a friendly and respectful manner, we need to start by outlining a benevolent consideration in the mid-term to then be able to say the trickier things. This is what I call the realtor method: a realtor always says that they’re there to help people sell their house at the best price … but in order to do that, they’ll need to make a few decorative changes,” Chignard says.

In any situation where there is disagreement or misunderstanding, coming armed with questions and propositions is more effective than simply showing opposition.

Picture yourself executing the idea. Identify and list all the different stumbling blocks. This way, you can go back to your manager with formalized arguments while demonstrating that you’re acting in good faith and that you’re committed to executing their idea. The message to get across to your boss should be: “You can count on me when our points of view differ, we both want this to go well.” In short, turn this disagreement into a display of your skills and your motivation. Your manager can only value you more for this.

This of course requires a bit of relational intelligence and some listening on your manager’s part. However, if this fails, you’ll need to adopt a different method.

Cover your back!

You’ve put forward your arguments, but you haven’t been able to convince your boss—or your boss wasn’t open to discussion. So, you’re now going to have to dive into the task … But it’s time to confront the idea and its feasibility, Chignard explains. “What works best is successfully exposing, before execution, what we call magic thinking: what your manager is proposing is not doable and you need to demonstrate this: confront them with the feasibility of the project, the resources required versus the resources at your disposal. In short, counter magical thinking with practical thinking.”

Depending on the structure of your organization, try to reclaim some room for maneuvering for the execution phase of the project. If your boss is expecting a certain result from you, you may have some freedom in choosing the working method to achieve it. This can be a good way of regaining some control over the project. However, exercise caution: if you decide to do things your way, be prepared to justify your approach.

What’s more, if you’re skeptical or even completely disagree with the method to be followed, it’s essential you cover your back. In other words:

• At the very least, talk to other people in the team and ideally involve them so you can share ideas about the project. This is also so that colleagues can eventually help you—whether this means speaking to your boss or executing the project.
• Keep a written record. This may seem a little litigious but if you’re being forced to do a task that doesn’t seem sensible, this allows you to cover your back during its execution and evaluation phases. Write emails at every step of the way so you have a record. Formalize your concerns, express any difficulties that you’re coming across and the solutions you’re proposing. Have all the steps approved in writing (mail, instant messaging, etc.) That way, during the evaluation phase, you will be able to rationally assess what worked and what didn’t work, while protecting yourself from having your abilities questioned.

Assume responsibility within your scope of action by stating that you’re not convinced. You might actually be proven right in the future. (A quick pointer: no matter how tempting it might be, avoid any smart remarks such as ‘I told you it wouldn’t work’. These really won’t do you any favors).

Probe your motivation

Disagreements at work are also an opportunity to reflect on your motivation and your faith in your boss.

In general, it’s very hard to find the motivation to do something if we don’t understand why we’re doing it. Every day, we have to do things that we don’t like doing: if we do them, it’s because we still see the point of them. It’s therefore time to probe your motivation and know where to find it with the help of the definition given by psychologist Jacques Forest. He points to the self-determination theory, which states there are two main types of motivation:

• Autonomous motivation: The task in itself motivates you. It resonates with your values, your interests, and you agree with it. Well, for this article, this certainly doesn’t apply.
• Controlled motivation: You see a point to the task that is unique to you but it’s not linked to the task itself. This could include pay or another benefit (e.g. learning something from the experience or helping out a colleague …). “It takes three positive emotions to overcome a negative emotion,” Chignard explains. “When you lack motivation at work, you can apply the same principle and implement compensatory measures which will allow you to reduce the mental space that this tedious task occupies. It’s up to you to apply this based on what makes you feel good. For example, find a set time of the day to do this task and set aside a pleasant moment later on to compensate for it—create a pleasant environment to compensate for the execution of an unpleasant task.”
• Faith: Ultimately, if your boss is in that position, it’s normally because they’ve got more experience and potentially a broader perspective than you do still. So, why not give it a shot? This requires having a great deal of faith in your manager and accepting that you don’t fully understand all the ins and outs of the project. This is quite rare and can cause a sense of unease when executing your tasks (after all, your boss isn’t meant to be a guru and you can respect them without blindly trusting them). In reality, having faith and trust in your manager is the product of a series of successful past experiences. It’s built over time. “Faith in your manager is woven and maintained through successful experiences. A successful experience doesn’t mean there’s no conflict: what counts isn’t always agreeing, it’s the ability to solve problems intelligently,” Chignard says.

Ultimately, this may be an opportunity to delve deeper and really reflect on your motivation: is this decrease in motivation limited to this project or are you seeing it across the board? If this is the case, it’s probably time to ask why you’re doing this job every day. The good news? Welcome to the Jungle has written at length about this too!

Translated by Jamie Broadway

Photo: Welcome to the Jungle

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