How to Be More Honest With Your Boss - The Muse

How to Be More Honest With Your Boss - The MuseHow to Be More Honest With Your BossHaving an open and honest dialogue with your manager can be intimidating, especially if you dont have an especially warm relationship. (Think the manager who only responds with it was fine when you ask about their weekend.)But, getting into the habit of seeking out feedback and sharing your opinions on a regular basis (even if they conflict with what you know your babo wants to hear) can improve your relationship and enhance your performance. Demonstrating a commitment to growth and candor will help you to stand out as a lifelong learner whos open to feedback (and score major points on your next performance review). Youll also gain a mora solid understanding of your managers expectations and hone in on your areas for improvement.So, as awkward as these little chats might be, theyre well worth the effort. Heres how to get started Start SmallIf you dont have a particularly comfortable relationship with y our boss (and many of us dont, sadly), youll want to begin laying the groundwork for open communication by initiating small but meaningful conversations. Asking straightforward but probing questions like, How do you think that presentation went? or Would you mind looking over these slides? Id love anotherbei set of eyes is a simple, safe way to get feedback-based communication flowing and build your comfort level over time so you can eventually talk about the bigger stuff. Read More The Best Question to Ask Your Boss Whenever Youre Assigned a New ProjectStrike FirstBy initiating the dialogue first, youll make your manager feel mora comfortable sharing her honest thoughts, too.Start off a conversation by saying, I felt that the meeting went well, but I think I could have done a better job of addressing the clients concerns about our pricing. What do you think?This can go both ways, too. If youd like your manager to adjust her behavior, you can say, I felt good about that presentation , but I wonder if I should take the lead on discussions about timelines and deliverables in the next one. What do you think?Read More 8 Questions You Should Be Asking Your BossSet Up a Regular Check-in TimeIve found that Im much more comfortable giving and receiving feedback when I know its coming. Ask your manager if shed be open to carving out 15 minutes every week to sync up. These meetings dont have to be mini-performance reviews, but rather opportunities to check in with each other. Sometimes you might use your time to update your boss on the progress of a long-term project or ask clarifying questions about a new task. At other times, you might seek out specific feedback about a report you just turned in or your overall performance. The idea here is to get comfortable talking to each other on a regular basis- and talking honestly. Read More The Best Way to Ask Your Boss for Regular Check-ins (Template Included)Always Try to Dig DeeperIf your manager tells you that she wishes yo u were progressing more quickly, dont take that at face value. Be curious- her idea of progressing in a role might be completely different than yours. So, get on the same page by asking follow-up questions (hint No question is a stupid question) such as What would that look like? or When you say youd like me to be more efficient, can you be more specific? The more detailed you can get your manager to be, the more likely theyll be more talkative and open going forward. Read More The Email Template You Need to Ask Your Boss for Better FeedbackUse Non-Confrontational LanguageWe all get frustrated with our bosses- especially when we feel that they arent understanding or appreciating our efforts. Rather than express this (and turn our manager off from speaking freely with us), repeat their concerns and try to resolve them in a professional, non-confrontational way.For example, if you feel like your boss unfairly criticized your execution of an email campaign, you can say Im getting the i mpression that youre concerned about the way I handled the ABC campaign. Id be interested to hear your thoughts, and Id like to walk you through my strategy and thought process, too. If your boss has given you vague or incomplete instructions, you can say something like, My understanding is that youd like me to have this to the client by Wednesday, is that accurate?Read More How to Disagree With Your Boss (Without Getting Fired)Practice EmpathyFor yourself and your manager, that is. Having open, honest discussions can be challenging, and you both likely have a lot on your respective plates. If your boss isnt able to articulate feedback helpfully, or if you take his criticism personally, thats OK. Try to put yourself in your managers shoes- is his boss stressing him out? Does he have a lot going on in his personal life? Is he simply uncomfortable delivering feedback? The key is to humanize your manager as much as possible and to remind yourself that any passive aggression or perceive d apathy on his part likely has nothing to do with you. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. These conversations arent easy, and they wont always go well. But youre brave for opening up an honest dialogue and will surely grow from these experiences- good and bad. Read More The Surprising (and Non-Technical) Skill You Need to Succeed in TechInitiating a candid dialogue with your boss can be an intimidating endeavor (I can think of at least 57 things Id rather do). Remember that these open lines of communication wont develop overnight. But, if you commit to consistently checking in, asking for feedback, and sharing your opinions, youll be well on your way to having genuine, productive chats with your manager.