Management has no idea what's broken. It's your job to tell them.

Something is broken at work.

A process. A strategy. Maybe a software package isn't meeting the team's needs.

Don't assume that management has any idea.

The people in charge often have no idea what's not working

It's a hard truth about business that the people setting the strategies and processes are often far removed from the people actually executing on those strategies and processes. When things are broken, being a team player doesn't mean plowing through. It's your job to shout long and loud about what's not working.

Go up the chain

Your manager can't always fix the problems. Sometimes their manager can't either. Not only do you have to shout long and hard about what's broken, but you may have to insist on access to your boss's boss, or even the CEO, to get your insights in front of the right person.

Good companies will reward your action

Being the squeaky wheel is scary. At the wrong company, going up the command chain to reveal problems could put your job at risk. But at most companies—and at the kind of company you want to work for—managers and leaders will be thrilled to actually hear why their carefully-crafted strategies and processes aren't working.

Bring solutions, when you can

If you know how to fix what's broken, even better. Management will love to hear not only that you've identified problems, but you've come up with a thoughtful way to do things better. But even if you don't know how to solve the problem, holding your tongue isn't the prudent path.

Help your company know what's broken

Management has no idea what's not working. You do. They do care that you're swimming uphill, fighting broken processes and trying to execute on a flawed strategy. Tell management what's not working.