Last time we talked about how critical building an effective working relationship with your boss is. This starts with understanding your manager.
Once, I participated in a 3-day small conference which included a lot of breakout sessions and required a lot of collaboration between the participants. The opening day ice-breaking activity became a game changer for me and gave me the most value of the entire conference.
It included a list of questions that each of the participant’s had to answer to the entire group. One of the questions was: “What is your preferred way of communication?” Knowing the preferred way of communication of each participant, everyone tried to adapt to each other, and the collaboration part of the conference was superb: productive, efficient, and enlightening.
The cherry on top was that my manager participated in this conference, and I learned about his preferred way of communication. It was different from mine, and learning about it helped me adapt. Our communication became more efficient and open, and helped me deliver better business outcomes. It also let me learn more about both business and leadership from my manager.
This experience led me to tip #1.
Tip#1: Ask openly and politely about your manager’s preferred way of communication.
If your manager prefers written communication, sending emails can be a good idea. Or, if they like to get supporting data for your recommendations, consider presentations that include charts and data and backup slides with detailed information for deep dive if needed. In case your manager prefers discussing topics, prepare an agenda for your next 1:1 or call a wider meeting if needed.
Tips #2 and #3 are about the mindset. They help me focus on the aspects that I find most useful when managing upwards.
Tip #2: Be curious.
Be strategic about learning more about your manager. Understand your manager’s business goals and how your work contributes to these goals. Aim to understand your manager’s goals for their organization both short- and long-term. Learn about your manager’s priorities. Make sure you understand them well, and that yours are aligned. Ask questions, observe, read formal communication, and participate in the meetings. Being curious about your manager’s objectives, decision making process and priorities will help you better understand the wider context of your role and hence perform better.
Tip #3: Remember, your manager is a person.
Managers have feelings, too. They can be stressed or overwhelmed at work. They have life outside of work and might be juggling multiple hats.
Oftentimes, we treat our customers with empathy. We strive to understand them and put ourselves in their shoes to serve them better. We usually listen and are open-minded with our peers. Rely on your listening skills to develop empathy for your boss, too. Ask genuine questions, don’t jump at conclusions right away, offer help.
These are only 3 tips but being conscious about them will help you elevate your communication with your manager. If you give it a try, let me know!