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look like on this project?” or, “If this went exactly like
you wanted it to go and it turned out perfect, what
would have to happen between now and that time?”
As an added beneft, you might even get an idea of
the scope of how big that project really is. Sometimes
bosses don’t tell you much and you have to pull it out
of them. If you do this simple step upfront and fnd
out what the expectations are on the project and the
timelines, you save a lot of time in the end.
Ask your boss what kind of follow up he/she wants
and what your boss has to have for his/her comfort
level.
Many times, bosses expect people to be mind
readers, simply because they’re busy and can’t
always go over all the details of a project. As such,
your boss might forget to
tell you such things as a
frm deadline or a required
step. And since everyone
operates from their own set
of realities, the possibility
of miscommunication is
high. That’s why you need
to take the initiative to
set expectations for every
project your boss assigns
you. You need to fnd out: What is the deadline? What
are my resources? What checkpoints or milestones
do we want to establish, if any? What step or contact
person is absolutely critical to this project? Just as you
set expectations when dealing with clients and co-
workers, you need to manage the relationship and set
expectations with your boss every time.
Examine your boss’s style and adjust to that style.
Peter Drucker says there are two key leadership styles:
readers and listeners. Which is your boss? The readers
want data before you talk with them. The listeners
want to talk before they read. For example, a CEO has
a controller who is good with the numbers. He gives
his boss elaborate and spectacular reports…but that’s
not what she wants. Every time he gives her a report,
she pushes the report aside and starts talking with
him. She’s not a reader; she’s a listener. All she wants
to know is the bottom line: Are we in trouble or not?
So this controller is spending precious time producing
materials his boss doesn’t want. Conversely, if
your boss is a reader, you’re not going to get a
good decision from that person in a quick hallway
conversation. Readers can’t make fast decisions on
complex issues without data. So unless it’s an easy
question, they need to think things over and analyze
them. And while there are many personality types in
the workplace, if you can make this one distinction
between the readers and the listeners, you’ll go far
with managing your boss.
Muster up the courage to tell your boss when you
feel you haven’t been fully heard.
Communication has to go both ways for success. If
your boss upsets you or misunderstands you, you
have to speak up—not from the head but from the
heart. One way to do that is with an “I”message. For
example, “I was really upset and hurt by what you said.
I interpreted it as __________. Did you mean it that
way?”Most people want to be heard, yet most are not
heard by their boss. Therefore, it’s your
responsibility to say when you’re not
feeling heard. If you’re leery of speaking
up to your boss, frst try this approach
on your family members. Practice it in a
safe environment before trying it on your
boss.
Become aware of other managers’
styles, especially when have a stake in
the outcome of your project.
Keeping up with the expectations and
styles of multiple bosses can be a fne balancing
act. The only way to wade through it all is if you can
keep in mind the one thing that matters most to
each of the stakeholders you have to please. It’s too
overwhelming to have fve stakeholders and think
through fve requirements for each. So either ask each
person what is most important to him/her or fgure
out what you have observed in each person’s behavior
that you can attend to.
Manage Up
The good news is that no matter how well or poorly
you have managed your boss’s relationship in the
past, you can re-craft your relationship on every new
project. Ideally, you want to create a relationship
where talking from the heart is the norm, as then
confrontation on serious issues won’t be difcult. In
the end, it’s really about understanding your boss.
When you teach your boss how to work with you and
hone great communication skills with him or her, your
work life will be happier and much more productive.
And as an added bonus you will look forward to
Mondays.
From: http://www.articlebase.com