Let’s face it- working can be stressful and not knowing how to effectively communicate with your boss will only add to that stress. Effective communication in the workplace is crucial to the success of a company, but can also make a huge difference in how content and happy employees are in their roles. Depending on the nature of your communication in the workplace, effective communication can be crucial to success. However, with just these few tips, you’ll be on your way to more confident and effective communication with your manager.
Get Your Information Straight
Sometimes when we try to communicate, especially if the idea is an impassioned or complex idea, it can be difficult to fully express it properly without preparation. Before communicating an idea with your manager, make sure that you prepare by getting it down on paper. If you’re concerned with how your manager will react, it might be a good idea to try expressing that thought to other people in your life to see how they take it or if they properly understand what you’re trying to express. This can be a great way to increase your ability to be properly understood, especially if you do not have a route of rapport built with your manager. By writing down your thoughts and practicing them with people in your life, you’ll be able to more confidently express yourself.
Understand Their Limits
In some cases, there may be limits that come in the way of communicating properly with your manager. In most cases, these limits will be imposed by time, as most managers are especially busy. However, it can also be caused by their limited understanding of the specific topic or your emotional response to the issue at hand. By communicating with your boss through the proper channels for a meeting first, you should communicate the amount of time that it will take to properly go over the issue and the level of importance that you find the issue to be. If the issue is a particularly difficult one, such as the process of getting a VA loan, it might be in your best interest to explain in an email while making time for a meeting the main points of what you would like to discuss so that nothing is missed, especially if the details are important.
Know What Is Important To Them
What you find important as an employee and what your manager or boss finds important may be completely different. Get an idea of just the most crucial details of what you want to express to your boss and keep it as short as possible to get your point across, but know the details in case they ask questions. It’s also important to know what channels of communication your boss prefers. Do they prefer to communicate on the phone? Or do they require emails so they can go back and look at the details? Whatever the case, finding the right channel of communication can be crucial to properly and effectively communicate with your manager.
Be Genuine
The time for building rapport is usually not in the middle of a workday, and not everyone has the time for detailed and deep discussions. You don’t need to be friends with your boss, but connecting on a real level can make a huge difference in communication. It can alleviate a myriad of problems at work and understanding your role and theirs is crucial to building a great relationship with your boss and effectively communicating. Once they know you and you know them, effective communication can be much easier to obtain. However, being genuine, interested, and kind can take you much further in the business world. While competition can be a great tool in the workplace, doing so with a kind and warm communication can be a great way to develop better relationships, further develop your brand and reputation, and help you more effectively communicate across multiple different channels.
