Communicating with your boss: It's not so scary!

I think regardless of your generation, as a worker you want a healthy relationship with your boss. Acquiring and maintaining that relationship is no easy task. The basic component is good communication. Here are some tips on how to effectively communicate with your boss.

Express ideas. Speak up if you have an idea of how things could be done. Develop your idea fully and then suggest it to your boss.

Voice concerns. This does not mean complaining. Instead, if something is not going the way you had anticipated, let your boss know what’s not working.

Propose solutions. Going hand-in-hand with voicing concerns is proposing solutions. It’s great to be able to identify that something is not working, but better still is being able to offer better ways of doing it.

Ask for feedback. If you feel like you’re not being recognized for your work, ask for feedback and suggestions. There’s nothing wrong with checking on your performance and wanting to improve.

Get clarification. It’s ok to be confused. Ask for clarification when things are unclear.

Share information. Your boss may be smart and have lots of experience, but that doesn’t mean he/she knows everything. Share information, knowledge, insights, etc.

Listen. Most importantly: listen. Listening doesn’t necessarily mean taking and following direction. Listening simply means hearing and understanding the communication between you and your boss.

Can you think of any other ways to effectively communicate with your boss? Let's hear them!

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