Ask Johnny: Should I Challenge My Manager’s Decision?

SHRM President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, answers your workplace questions each week. Do you have a work-related question you’d like him to answer? Submit it here.

My manager recently made a decision that affects my team’s workload and results, and I disagree with their approach. I want to raise concerns, but I don’t want to come across as difficult or insubordinate. Is it ever appropriate to question your boss’s decision, and if so, how can it be done professionally?

—Xavier

Yes — in fact, good leaders should want you to question their decisions, respectfully and constructively. Healthy organizations aren’t built on blind agreement. They’re built on thoughtful dialogue. The issue isn’t whether you disagree. It’s how you handle that disagreement.

Before raising concerns, remember your manager may be working with information you don’t have. Budget constraints, customer commitments, legal considerations, or broader business priorities often shape decisions in ways that aren’t immediately visible to everyone. That doesn’t mean your concerns aren’t valid. It means you should approach the conversation with curiosity rather than certainty.

Seek to understand before you seek to be understood. In other words, start by asking questions to better unpack the reasoning behind the decision. You may discover information that changes your perspective, or you may uncover an opportunity to improve the outcome.

Of course, managers aren’t infallible. Sometimes respectful questions surface risks, unintended consequences, or better alternatives that genuinely strengthen the final decision. That’s exactly why healthy debate matters.

If, after that conversation, you still believe there’s a better path forward, frame your concerns around business outcomes, not personal preferences. Explain how the decision could affect productivity, customer service, quality, costs, risk, or your team’s ability to meet its goals. Be specific, avoid emotional language, and whenever possible, offer alternatives. Leaders value employees who bring solutions, not just objections.

At SHRM, one of my favorite Guiding Principles is “Challenge, Decide, Commit,” because it strikes the right balance between healthy debate and organizational alignment. During the decision-making process, the floor is open for anyone in the room to challenge ideas thoughtfully. Ask questions. Share your perspective. Offer data or experiences others may not have considered. But once a decision has been made, everyone has a responsibility to commit to making it successful, even if it wasn’t the path they advocated. Once the decision is made, continuing to relitigate it creates confusion, erodes trust, and slows execution.

One piece of advice I often share is this: Challenge the decision, but never challenge the relationship. Respectfully disagreeing with your manager is part of building a healthy workplace. Undermining your manager or making the disagreement personal is not.

Healthy organizations don’t expect employees to remain silent. They expect them to speak up thoughtfully, listen carefully, and then move forward together. The goal isn’t to win the debate. It’s to help the organization make the best decision possible.