[headscientist]

This is a good point. You're right that it really does come down to getting from him the things that I think the team and I need in order to succeed. Sometimes, however, I worry that I'm not getting the point across if I dance around an issue or "soften" it up too much. I'm sure there's a middle ground though where I can get my point across while keeping the conversation practical, focused and constructive. I just need to give some more thought as to how to do that.