Your manager should want your feedback on things to improve. Your manager should want you to take ownership of a problem and resolve it. Your manager does want to know what direction you’re running in.

Say something like “I’ve been thinking about this problem and think I have a solution - “. Then describe said problem and solution. This isn’t the time to ask for money for a tool (whole separate convo) or take someone’s time, but it is a time to inform of what you’ve been thinking. Coming prepared with supporting documentation - ADR, Tech Spec, project plan - goes a very long way to show that you’ve thought through a problem. This solution should be something that you (and probably you alone) can do. Maybe it’s ticket or an epic that you’ll own in the future.

If your manager doesn’t care, then go to one of their peers or skip level. I found going to a manager’s peers to be most effective as they can more tactfully escalate the solution or issue (of your manager not being helpful).

No one wants complaining; so don’t complain. Instead come prepared with solutions for your problems.

I didn’t use AI for this, but did plug it into a word counter/spell checker. Apparently tactfully is a word I don’t use a lot