I’m a few months into my first in house gig after spending my entire career in private practice. Having major confidence issues, and hard to tell if this is an adjustment issue or a “me” issue. How do you assert yourself without seeming argumentative or perceived as undermining others with more YOE who say things that are questionably accurate with absolute confidence? Any go-to phrases that you use when you really want to just blurt out “that is not entirely accurate…”?

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Pick your battles. If you nitpick every single thing business people will start tuning you out. But if you’re more intentional and selective about when you speak up, I’ve found that business people are more likely to be receptive and trust your feedback (especially those with more YOE)

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Sometimes that's intentional. In-house is about being pragmatic, not perfect. Are you sure they want to know what you're telling them?

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Seconding pick your battles. But in terms of phrasing, there is a way to do this while still being collaborative - phrasing things like "I wonder if X could work instead of Y because ..."

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I’ve found the key to being in house is being diplomatic. You definitely have to pick your battles for sure. Your job is to make recommendations so you’re trying to get folks to make a decision you think is best without telling them what to do. It can take time. Being a good listener and not feeling like you need to be the first one to speak is good practice.

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You need to build up trust with your bosses and the business people. Get to know them on a personal level if your corporate culture allows for such small talk. This takes time. After a while, you’ll be able to offer contradicting advice without being perceived as difficult person or a threat.

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