A lot of advice about persuasion assumes a relatively equal power dynamic. But sometimes you need to persuade someone higher up than you in a hierarchy: your boss, their boss, a project leader. For that you need four specific strategies: focus on common goals, get to a neutral space, let them build your case with you, and know your next steps. This approach is effective in a workplace, or in any hierarchical organisation, as long as the participants have some common ground to build on.

You’ve been approached about a new gig — but it’s complicated. You’d be happy to stick with your longtime employer, but you’re not sure if that’s realistic, and your spouse doesn’t want you to relocate. Here’s how to think of this decision as an opportunity, not a chore.

You’re ready to move on, and it’s time to break the news to the boss. What’s the proper protocol for going out on the right note?

How do you get quality feedback from your boss — and how do you get your boss to invest in helping you build your career?

I'm going to pick on a story I saw in the Wall Street Journal, but only because it's typical of a whole genre of advice offered by rich and powerful people, most of them white men. It's a 2016 first-person essay by Brian Scudamore, the creator of 1-800-GOT-JUNK, called "Why This CEO Takes Every Friday Off."

Scudamore explains that he "recharges" on Fridays, and spends Mondays "just thinking." He offers this as career advice.

All too frequently, people who are good at making a thing get promoted to be the supervisors of the people making the thing — without any training as to how to lead. So how do you become a good boss? Do you pick up leadership skills on the job, or is special coaching required? We find out this week.

There are many ways for a good boss to go bad, and one of those ways is a boss who doesn’t realise their own insane pace can’t be matched by their employees. There is hope, however, that you can reset boundaries.

We want to hear about your worst boss. You know the one: the blowhard who talked over you at every meeting; the unhinged lunatic who expected you to answer emergency texts at 3am; the so-called “genius” who couldn’t help but scream at everyone because she was just so darn passionate. Or maybe the one who would lick his fingers constantly and then used his wet fingers to plaster his bangs down onto his forehead, all while never breaking eye contact. (Oh, wait, that’s my story.)

Video: If you work from home, you know how important it is to stay connected with your boss and coworkers via email and chat programs such as Slack. The trouble is, text-only communication can leave a lot up to the imagination in terms of tone. Is your online boss really a jerk who hates everything you do? Or are you just reading their messages in the worst way possible?

Some negotiations are simply too difficult and complicated to solve traditionally. If the negotiations you're involved with have come to a stalemate, the "indaba" technique makes it easier for all parties to find common ground and resolve things fairly.

If you're lucky, or in a good place career-wise, you don't have a micromanaging boss. But if you do, or if you've ever had one, the reason they do it is actually simple: They feel helpless. And knowing that can help you push back and get a little breathing room from them.

Just like with regular employees, the professionalism and likability of managers can vary greatly - some are excellent at their jobs while others are truly terrible. Either way, there are a few things you just shouldn't say to your direct superior. After all, they ultimately hold the keys to your future in the company. Aside from the obvious — like profanity and insults — here are the words and phrases you should never utter to your boss.

If things have been a little rocky between you and your boss lately, there's one thing that's sure to help you begin smoothing things out: Ask them for their guidance.

Interviewing for a new job is difficult, but you should pay attention to the way your future boss discusses the team and projects you'd be working on -- not just so you have an idea of what you'll do, but for what they think of your future team, and by extension, what they will think of you.

When you're mentally done with your job, it's easy to give up and put in less effort. You hate your job anyway, so what's the point in trying? It's a tempting thought, but it usually works in your favour to continue to do good work even when you're fed up.

Let's face it -- openly disagreeing with someone in a way that's constructive and non-condescending can be tough. But, when that someone is your boss? Things suddenly get a whole lot trickier.

How your boss manages you can have a lasting impact on what kind of worker you become in the future and affect the way you deal with your subordinates if you do end up in a management role. We take a look the qualities that a "superboss" would possess based on the experiences of a software industry veteran.