What to Do About a Boss Who Always Says ‘No’

“It was stalling my career,” says Kerry Flynn Barrett, a human resources consultant who once had a boss who batted down her efforts to take on bigger projects and more responsibility. It wasn’t until a more open manager took over the group that Flynn Barrett was able to rise. In retrospect, she wonders if she could have swayed the original boss by using more data to back up her proposals, or making her ask over lunch and warm conversation.