It is understandable that you find it difficult to understand your boss and therefore you find it hard to communicate with your Manager.
It becomes even more difficult when it comes to talking about sensitive topics like increment, promotions, performance or even quitting your job.
Most of the time conversation with your boss becomes like a monologue or an interview where you may not get enough time to convince the person with your ideas in the shortest time possible.
This doesn’t mean that your boss is a horrible person or may think highly of himself than you but your boss is more experienced, busier and more analytical than you. You need to respect that while keeping your facts straight and staying true to your values and opinions.
Let’s have a look at some of the Do’s and Don’ts on how to effectively communicate with your boss:
- Make Clarity With Your Words: This is one thing that we should be mindful of when talking to someone; especially when it’s your manager, as you need to be careful of the time your manager is spending on you. Therefore, before you even start your conversation just them give them the brief of the topic you want to discuss and what you are expecting from this conversation; try to be as specific as possible instead of providing additional background information unless asked for.
- Understand your Manager’s Communication Preferences: Everyone has their communication preferences, some prefer simple email, IMs, calls and some prefer face-to-face communication. Some bosses are friendly and their door is always open for you, however, some prefer a more formal approach where you need to schedule your time as per their calendar. Taking these factors into consideration will make your communication simpler.
- Be Respectful: There will be times when you want to dismiss your manager’s idea and cut short the ongoing conversation due to your workload or any other pre-defined priorities; you may also get this urge during meetings when your Manager is presenting an idea. Your biggest job during that time is not to talk, but to listen with 100% attention. Make sure you think twice or thrice before interrupting your boss. But of course you can present your line of thoughts that are in alignment with your Manager’s insights or in way it does not hurt your Manager’s ego in front of others.
- Empower your boss: Make your Manager look like the best person in the room. Your Manager relies on your performance at work and he/ she also needs to report to his/ her manager. When you perform your tasks well only then your manager will be better able to manage his KPIs.
- Offer to take a little more from your Manager’s plate: I know that you may be thinking that you already have hundreds of tasks to perform and you can’t take any more tasks at your end, but believe me, when I say that if you have hundreds of tasks, your manager has thousands of tasks and going an extra mile to support your Manager is not only going to give you recognition in the organization and build your reputation in front of your manager but you will learn other aspects of the company and this way you will be in a better position to move up the career ladder.
- Getting your facts right: Remember Management will always ask you for evidence on the statements you are making to prove a point. Therefore, make sure whenever you provide a status update, your argument reasoning you always have your facts right with objective evidence.
- Being Solution Oriented: The world loves people who are solution-oriented. Everybody has a problem but only a few come with a Solution. When you go to your manager with a problem make sure you first think through and provide a solution as well. This shows that you are proactive and concerned about the job you are entrusted with, also this proves that you have the skills needed to progress within the company.
- Ask for Advice: Your Manager will value you more when you ask for their advice. It’s good to come up with a Solution but asking your manager for his advice and feedback on the solution proves that you believe in the process and respect the hierarchy defined in the organization.
Just like there are some ways on how to communicate with your boss, there are some Don’ts as well as how not to communicate with your manager:
- Beating around the Bush: Don’t go round and round about the topic or issue you are discussing with your manager but instead jump straight to the point to save everyone’s time.
- Correcting your boss in front of others: Never hurt your Manager’s Ego in front of others. If you do not agree with something make sure you discuss this with your boss 1 – 1 and when other’s are not around.
- Hiding your mistakes and challenges: Hiding Mistakes and challenges you are facing can put you in serious trouble, as you need to be transparent with your manager when it comes to organizational tasks, issues, challenges and mistakes. Also, it is important to reveal the mistakes you made to your manager as he/ she will be the best person who can tell you to get out of that situation.
- Talking to your boss when you are emotional: Keep your emotions in check when you talk to your manager.
- Waiting for something and not asking for it (ex: increment or praise): Your Manager is not a mind-reader.
- Taking Criticism personally: Take Criticism as your areas of improvement, and do better next time.
- Getting involved in office gossips: It’s best not to engage in office gossip. The word always tends to get out, which can weaken your reputation and your relationship with your manager.
- Interrupting your boss: Learn to be a good listener, especially when it comes to your Manager. When your manager is talking to you listen to the idea carefully even if you feel like you have a better one and wait until he/ she has finished so you can offer your opinion in a constructive way.
