Read Your Manager

Your manager's mood shapes their answer more than your evidence does. Catch them mid-crisis or mid-budget-cut and even a great case lands flat.

The openings to watch for:

• After a win lands — a delivered project or a calm, stable stretch
• Right after their boss praises them — confidence flows downhill, and you become part of the good news

Mind the calendar too: skip Monday backlog and the Friday weekend-brain. Mid-week, mid-morning is the sweet spot.