10 tips for communicating with your boss with boss.pdf · 10 tips for communicating with your boss....
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© 2013 OfficeTeam. A Robert Half Company. All rights reserved. OfficeTeam is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
10 Tips for Communicating
With Your Boss
How Important is Communication
to Your Career Advancement?
• What you can gain:
– More visibility
– Greater influence in decision making
– Promotion opportunities
– More respect, mentorship opportunities
among peers
Good Lines of Communication With
Your Boss Can Enhance Your...
• Job satisfaction
• Confidence level
• Negotiation and persuasion skills
• Opportunities to keep learning
• Career advancement prospects
• Marketability
Good Lines of Communication With Your
Boss Mean You’ll Worry Less About...
• Office politics – Survey: 53 percent of employees said the
level of office politics in their workplaces has
increased
• Getting fair credit for your work
• Your stress level
Questions to Consider:
• Who is your boss?
• How often does change happen?
• What obstacles do you encounter most
with your boss?
Communication Is
an Ongoing Process
• It’s always a good time to
enhance communication
• Don’t wait until there’s a problem
to work on your skills
1. Agree on job responsibilities and a
definition of success.
• This step affects all others
• Establish expectations;
determine objectives
2. Ask for a meeting to discuss
questions such as:
• Where does your job fit into the scheme
of things, based on your company’s strategic goals?
• Have job responsibilities shifted?
• How will your job performance be measured?
• What are the processes that shape work flow
and efficiency?
• Are you encouraged to introduce innovations
in procedures or are you expected to do everything strictly by
the book?
3. Always be aware of your timing.
• Internet speed makes this challenging
• Check: How quickly do you get to
the point?
• Prioritize topic lists
• Create a rapport with your manager
– Take your boss to lunch
– Discuss hobbies, interests, family
4. Provide just the right amount
of information.
• Is it a 411 or 911 situation?
• Selective updates
• Frequency/type of updates
• When to “bring into the loop”
• Know your boss’s preferences
5. Determine your communication mix.
• When to call for a personal meeting
• When to rely on voicemail and e-mail
• When to shift your mix for
mobile executives
6. Prepare, prepare, prepare.
• What do you need from your boss?
It will affect your communication
• Every problem needs a solution
7. Be a good listener.
• Your ability to communicate depends on your listening skills
– Focus on what your boss is saying
– Ask questions
– Enhance your skills
8. Observe others.
• Learn by listening, watching
– How do others work with your boss?
– How do they relay difficult news?
– How do they get buy-in for projects?
• Adapt to situations
9. Consider your boss’s perspective.
• What’s the big picture?
• Focus on results, not process
• Identify changing priorities
– What else is on his or her “plate”
right now?
• Understand the business
10. Adapt to your boss’s personality.
• How does your boss respond to stress?
• What can you change?
• How can you approach stressful situations?
Approaching Special Situations:
How Prepared Are You?
• Asking for a raise
• Getting credit for your accomplishments
• Scheduling a performance review
• Handling miscommunication on
project deadlines
How Do You Ask Your Boss
for a Raise?
• Do your homework
• Ask for a meeting
• Outline value points, avoid personal
needs
• Have a backup plan
• Ask reasons why
Getting Credit for Your
Accomplishments
• Put the situation in context
• Don’t assume the worst
• Be proactive
• Cc or Bcc the boss as needed
• Highlight results, not just activity
• Talk to your boss
• Provide:
– Opportunities for regular communication
– Status reports, even if not required
OfficeTeam Workplace Protocol Quiz
a) Draft a memo to your boss requesting the raise you want.
b) Casually ask your boss about the company’s review policies and schedule a meeting if appropriate.
c) Ask a coworker about the policies.
d) Do nothing – wait for your boss to raise the issue.
Scheduling a
Performance Review
• Answer: B
• Ask your boss
– Determine company review policies
– Schedule a meeting where appropriate
• Be proactive
• The disadvantage of asking
a coworker
OfficeTeam Workplace
Protocol Quiz
a) Apologize for the mistake and immediately
work on finishing the project.
b) Say that you understood the deadline to be
Friday; offer to stay late to finish the work.
c) Say that she’s mistaken – the deadline you
mutually agreed upon was Friday.
d) Ask your coworkers if your boss tends
to be forgetful.
How Do You Handle
Miscommunication on Deadlines?
• Answer: B
• Acknowledge the situation –
don’t place blame
• Apologize if/when necessary
• Don’t discuss the situation with coworkers
When You’re the Boss
• Facilitating communication with
your own employees
– Apply the Golden Rule
– Maintain open communication
– Take active steps to gauge morale