10 Tips for Communicating With Your Boss

10 Tips for Communicating
      With Your Boss

   © 2013 OfficeTeam. A Robert Half Company. All rights reserved. OfficeTeam is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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

10 Tips for Communicating
      with Your Boss

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

10 Tips for Communicating
      With Your Boss

                                     officeteam.com

   © 2013 OfficeTeam. A Robert Half Company. All rights reserved. OfficeTeam is an Equal Opportunity Employer.