Communicating with your boss: Master the perfect tactic
It is necessary to perfect the art of communicating with your boss, for how you interact with him has a major impact on your performance appraisal and consequently your career, say Peter Urs Bender and Robert Tracz
We all answer to someone. Bosses come in all shapes and sizes and have many different styles, yet they speak the same language the bottom line. How you communicate with your boss will have an impact on your performance evaluation, your raise and your career.
Here are some tips on communicating with your boss:
· Propose, donot impose, solutions to problems
· Share all the information-good and bad
· Donot take the bosses decisions personally
· Clarify resources, levels of authority, responsibilities, reporting, schedules, desired outcomes and deadlines
· Ask for feedback BreathingGenerally speaking, our feelings are reflected by our rate of breathing and general physiology
If we're nervous, startled, or excited, we breathe rapidly and shallowly.
If we're relaxed, comfortable, or contemplative, we breathe more deeply.
This is an important factor in understanding other people. By adopting their breathing rates and postures, you will begin to feel similar feelings and better understand what they're thinking. Sometimes it's difficult to determine what people's breathing rates are. Watch the edges of their shoulders. See how they move against the background and then try to match it.
In addition, adopt their general body position to get fully into their state of mind. But be careful. If their breathing rate is considerably different from yours, the matching can be exhausting for you to maintain. Don't do it for too long. In any case, the objective is to match them, not slavishly copy them. In fact, once you establish contact and develop understanding for how they are feeling, you may begin to breathe and speak to your normal rate.
Broken record
A broken record doesn't move forward. Some of us remember those vinyl records from long, long ago. The needle would get stuck and the same part of the music would play over and over again. Sometimes people get stuck and try to sidetrack you or change the topic. They will attempt to go over, under, or around you. Use the broken record to stick to the topic, to get a response to a question, or to simply say no?.
Here's how you do it:
· Focus on and state what you want
· Acknowledge what they've said if they sidetrack you
· Repeat what you said This powerful technique is simple and effective yet it's not easy to practice
Bulldozers
We've all met difficult characters. They can't be avoided, so we have to deal with them. Here are some suggestions on dealing with one of the better-known types the Bulldozers.With Bulldozers, it'™s their way or the highway. Bulldozers aren't necessarily hostile, but they are fast-acting, decisive and motivated to get results. When you deal with Bulldozers, you're either going to help them or get in their way.
Here are some tips on how to handle Bulldozers:
· Remain calm, hold eye contact and breathe
· Hear them out, then reflect their main concerns
· Focus on the bottom line be brief
· Offer options they're decisive
· Avoid a battle, because they won't back down
· If possible, allow them the last word
From India, Gurgaon
660It is necessary to perfect the art of communicating with your boss, for how you interact with him has a major impact on your performance appraisal and consequently your career, say Peter Urs Bender and Robert Tracz
We all answer to someone. Bosses come in all shapes and sizes and have many different styles, yet they speak the same language the bottom line. How you communicate with your boss will have an impact on your performance evaluation, your raise and your career.
Here are some tips on communicating with your boss:
· Propose, donot impose, solutions to problems
· Share all the information-good and bad
· Donot take the bosses decisions personally
· Clarify resources, levels of authority, responsibilities, reporting, schedules, desired outcomes and deadlines
· Ask for feedback BreathingGenerally speaking, our feelings are reflected by our rate of breathing and general physiology
If we're nervous, startled, or excited, we breathe rapidly and shallowly.
If we're relaxed, comfortable, or contemplative, we breathe more deeply.
This is an important factor in understanding other people. By adopting their breathing rates and postures, you will begin to feel similar feelings and better understand what they're thinking. Sometimes it's difficult to determine what people's breathing rates are. Watch the edges of their shoulders. See how they move against the background and then try to match it.
In addition, adopt their general body position to get fully into their state of mind. But be careful. If their breathing rate is considerably different from yours, the matching can be exhausting for you to maintain. Don't do it for too long. In any case, the objective is to match them, not slavishly copy them. In fact, once you establish contact and develop understanding for how they are feeling, you may begin to breathe and speak to your normal rate.
Broken record
A broken record doesn't move forward. Some of us remember those vinyl records from long, long ago. The needle would get stuck and the same part of the music would play over and over again. Sometimes people get stuck and try to sidetrack you or change the topic. They will attempt to go over, under, or around you. Use the broken record to stick to the topic, to get a response to a question, or to simply say no?.
Here's how you do it:
· Focus on and state what you want
· Acknowledge what they've said if they sidetrack you
· Repeat what you said This powerful technique is simple and effective yet it's not easy to practice
Bulldozers
We've all met difficult characters. They can't be avoided, so we have to deal with them. Here are some suggestions on dealing with one of the better-known types the Bulldozers.With Bulldozers, it'™s their way or the highway. Bulldozers aren't necessarily hostile, but they are fast-acting, decisive and motivated to get results. When you deal with Bulldozers, you're either going to help them or get in their way.
Here are some tips on how to handle Bulldozers:
· Remain calm, hold eye contact and breathe
· Hear them out, then reflect their main concerns
· Focus on the bottom line be brief
· Offer options they're decisive
· Avoid a battle, because they won't back down
· If possible, allow them the last word
From India, Gurgaon
Dear Moderator/Colleagues,
In as much as I appreciate your postulation on this topic I would like to submit that most times it takes probably a Degree in People Management to be able to manage/communicate with some bosses.
For instance some are just out to see you frustrated-targets are set without tools to achieve these yet you are expected to deliver.
They would scream and yell to high heaven to get you scared and all these they would pile up to judge at the time of appraisal.
Secondly some of them are just paranoid, there is nothing you do that seems to get their attention either good or bad, they can not be bothered.
It should be noted that it would take some special effort to cope with and please some bosses.
Thanks
From Nigeria, Lagos
In as much as I appreciate your postulation on this topic I would like to submit that most times it takes probably a Degree in People Management to be able to manage/communicate with some bosses.
For instance some are just out to see you frustrated-targets are set without tools to achieve these yet you are expected to deliver.
They would scream and yell to high heaven to get you scared and all these they would pile up to judge at the time of appraisal.
Secondly some of them are just paranoid, there is nothing you do that seems to get their attention either good or bad, they can not be bothered.
It should be noted that it would take some special effort to cope with and please some bosses.
Thanks
From Nigeria, Lagos
hi regarding this..i htink this comes automatically...once u become aware of someones breathing pattern...u automatically match it but i guess...becoming aware is tough. nice article CHR
From India, Mumbai
From India, Mumbai
Just a small addition - always tell your boss that things can be done. And when they can't be done, blame lack of finance. :lol:
A boss is like a baby - they shout, make you dance around their finger and make you work your ass just to see a smile on their face - and you'll hardly ever get any appreciation and mostly wish their whining about the way we do work would stop.
Its a hard life.... :lol:
From India, Mumbai
A boss is like a baby - they shout, make you dance around their finger and make you work your ass just to see a smile on their face - and you'll hardly ever get any appreciation and mostly wish their whining about the way we do work would stop.
Its a hard life.... :lol:
From India, Mumbai
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