Dear Bob ... I make more than the salary range I am in so I don't get a raise and have not in a few years. That part simply is what it is. The part that I'm a little confused about is the bonus. To make a very long story very short - I was rated higher than I was last year, my business unit and the organization as a whole did better this year, both from a revenue and net profit perspective, I rec Dear Bob …I make more than the salary range I am in so I don’t get a raise and have not in a few years. That part simply is what it is. The part that I’m a little confused about is the bonus.To make a very long story very short – I was rated higher than I was last year, my business unit and the organization as a whole did better this year, both from a revenue and net profit perspective, I received very high (and, it seemed, sincere) praise from my boss when he delivered the review, but my bonus was lower than last year. Without a raise as a possibility, the only way for me to judge my value to the organization in concrete terms is through my bonus.My plan is something like this – thank them for the bonus, then ask “out of curiosity” how the bonuses were determined – was it by a formula or by a more subjective assessment. When asked why I’m asking (if they don’t already know), calmly and professionally lay out the case I articulated above and see where it goes (minus the part about the bonus being the only way to judge my value – I don’t want this to be a rehash of feedback from my boss, I just want an answer to the question).Your thoughts on my strategy? Just WonderingDear Wondering …Just an opinion: Subtlety won’t work here. Quite the opposite, it’s two most likely results are that either (1) your boss will simply miss the point, or (2) he won’t miss the point but will pretend to. One other point: Don’t thank your boss for the bonus. It takes the conversation in exactly the wrong direction, making the bonus a gift and you someone who’s griping about its size. Properly understood, the bonus is an expression of gratitude to you from the business – the sincerest form of communication there is in the world of business. You don’t thank someone for thanking you.I’d suggest a more straightforward approach. Meet with your boss, express appreciation for the favorable performance review (that is appropriate), and then say this or the equivalent: “Help me understand something. Employees who are lower in their salary range receive both a bonus and an increase. I don’t have the opportunity for a salary increase, which I fully understand. What I don’t understand is how my performance rating can improve while my bonus got smaller. There’s no obvious logic to it.”Your idea of remaining calm and businesslike is, of course, the exact right tone to set, because this is a business discussion – a negotiation, to be exact. At least, I hope it is, because if you’re looking for emotional satisfaction, you’re unlikely to get it (and letting your boss off too easily, too). Since it is a negotiation, decide before you walk in the door what you want from the discussion. That’s important because your boss is likely to ask you what it is. “Since you’ve already told me my performance improved from last year, what I’d like from you is a larger bonus,” is a very reasonable answer. In addition to being calm and businesslike, make sure you look your boss in the eyes while you’re talking. Your instinct will probably be to look down. This sets both a subservient tone, and to observant conversationalists will be interpreted as anger. Directness requires eye contact.Filter this advice through your boss’s personality. But not through your natural retiscence to confront. Some managers just aren’t very mature and would take offense at the discussion I’m recommending. Shame on them, but the risk is yours. Your retiscence, in contrast, isn’t a consideration at all.It’s merely something your employer counts on. – Bob ——– Technology Industry