Here are ten tips for communicating better with your immediate supervisor:
1. Make an appointment to speak to the boss, unless it's an emergency. She/he has work to accomplish too.
2. Don't be lulled into thinking that your boss is your friend, even if they are friendly. When it comes to judging your performance or laying you off, most will not hesitate to act.
3. Don't be too friendly with the boss. It can cause coworkers to distrust you.
4. Avoid tattling, unless it's a serious offense, such as theft or a safety violation.
5. Watch your timing. When you ask for something can be almost as important as what you're asking for. Asking to schedule your next vacation the day after you've gotten back from the current one probably isn't a smart idea. Nor is asking for a promotion or raise right after your boss was chewed out for a mistake you made.
6. Be specific if you have a coworker complaint to discuss with your boss and, ideally, have a solution to suggest. If you go to your boss and say, "I hate working with Bob," you sound like a whiner. You'll get better results with, "Bob hasn't been providing me with the information I need to complete my weekly reports on time. Would you please remind him that it's due by 5:00 each Thursday?"
7. Be patient. It's frustrating to see a coworker "get away with" coming in late, leaving early, calling in sick all the time, never sharing the work load, and so on. In your mind it is clear that the offender should be fired. However, legally and ethically your supervisor must give "trouble" employees a chance to correct their behavior before taking such a drastic step.
8. Be sure to discuss your long-term goals and interests with your manager. That way they won't have to make assumptions on your behalf.
9. Ask up front what makes an "excellent" employee. Don't wait until your annual review to find out what you thought was important doesn't matter to the boss.
10. Realize that there is often more pressure on the boss than he or she is placing on you.
"Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain...and most fools do." ~Andrew Carnegie
Victoria Graydale has been a technical writer/mananger for over 15 years. After many years of experience in the corporate world, Victoria realized there are very few resources for employees looking to improve themselves at work, although there are hundreds books on how to be a better manager. Victoria Graydale has recently realized her dream of creative writing with "The Wizard's Daughter," due out in December 2006 from Stargazer Press. |
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