How to Break the News
Give your boss adequate planning time.
Let your boss know you struggled with what to do, says Badowski: "Say, 'I really regret having to give up one event for the other, but this is important to me.'"
Show support for the event. Tell your boss, "I will be there in spirit," says D. J. Mitsch, president of the Pyramid Resource Group, a corporate coaching company based in Cary, North Carolina. "Let her know you plan to catch up on any information that will be shared at the retreat," says Dianna Anderson, an executive coach in Johnston, Iowa. Offer to help with the preparations.
What Not to Say
Don't act flippant, says Lisa Angel. "When an employee skips our office retreat, it's only an issue if we think the absence is a sign that he or she isn't committed to the firm."
"Don't gloat, not even in passing, about how happy you are to get out of it," says Bill Dueease, a business coach in Fort Myers, Florida. Be discreet among your colleagues, who will have to do the dreaded "trust fall" and the ropes course.
