communication

Managing Two Bosses

By in Communication Tags: , , ,

TwoBosses

It’s not unusual for people to have more than one boss. According to a 2017 Gallup survey, 44% of U.S. workers report to more than one person. This can sometimes lead to stress and conflict, especially if the two bosses are demanding that the employee devote all of his or her time to different projects. It can be a very difficult balancing act. But according to author Joann Lublin, it is possible to make it work. Just follow these steps:

  • Talk about expectations – Find out what your bosses expect from you. And if it seems like those expectations might conflict with each other (or there simply isn’t enough time in the day to complete all of the tasks they’ve assigned to you), make sure to discuss it with your bosses right away, before problems arise. Ask them to work with you to prioritize the work that you’ve been given. Hopefully they’ll be able to compromise, and you’ll be able to get your projects done without feeling overworked or overwhelmed.
  • Communicate frequently – Talk to both of your bosses regularly. They should both know what you’re working on, how it’s going, whether you’ve encountered any obstacles, when you expect to be finished, and what you’re going to be working on next. Talk to them every day, if you can. If both of your bosses are always fully informed about what you’re working on, they won’t feel slighted or ignored. They’ll know that you’re committed to getting their projects done.
  • Go over their heads (but only if absolutely necessary) – If your bosses just can’t seem to agree on what you should be working on, and you have multiple deadlines that you can’t meet, it might be time to talk to your bosses’ boss. This could make your bosses angry, so only do it as a last resort. And don’t blindside your bosses. Tell them that you’re going to contact their boss in an effort to work through the conflict and reach a compromise.
  • Give priority to the boss who has the most control over your future – Of course it’s important to try to please both of your bosses. But you might want to try the hardest with the boss who has control over whether you get a raise or a promotion. The boss who holds the most sway over you is the most important one to impress.

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Lublin, J. S. (2020, August 3). When you have two bosses. The Wall Street Journal. p. R4.

Five Ways to Self-Promote Yourself (Without Looking Like a Jerk)

By in Communication, Learning Tags: ,

Success in Business or Personal Talent Concept. Happy Businessma

When you’re working hard and doing great things, you want to make sure that your boss is aware of your achievements. But at the same time, you don’t want to sound like you’re bragging or come across as a jerk. So what should you do?

First, you should know that it’s perfectly OK (and even advisable) to tell your boss about all of the good things that you’ve accomplished. It’s important that your boss knows about the great work you do! He or she needs to know about the obstacles you’ve overcome, the projects you’ve completed, and the good feedback you’ve received. Otherwise, your boss might have no idea what kind of worker you are.

But if the idea of self-promoting yourself makes you cringe, take heart. There are a few easy ways to go about it. Author Meridith Levinson suggests you try one or more of the following:

  1. Be ready with a good comeback – When your boss walks by your office and asks you how you’re doing, don’t give a one-word answer like “fine” or “good.” Be prepared to give a more detailed response. Tell your boss that you’re happy that your latest project went well, you’re having a good time learning a new skill, or you’ve had success working with a certain client. Give your boss a thorough update, and make sure to mention all of the things that you’ve accomplished.
  2. Help people out – Offer to help out coworkers who might be struggling with a certain task or a new type of software. Don’t take on more than you can manage. But if you have the knowledge and capacity to help your coworkers get their work done more easily, you should do it. Not only will your coworkers really appreciate your assistance, but you’ll also start to be known around the office as someone who is helpful, knowledgeable, and collaborative.
  3. Talk about your work, rather than yourself – If you feel uncomfortable talking to your boss about your skills and strengths, focus on your work instead. Meet with your boss to talk about your projects, and be energetic and enthusiastic. Your boss will be impressed with how engaged you are in your work. 
  4. Share complimentary emails – If you get a complimentary email from a client or coworker, forward it to your boss. But make sure to add a sentence or two, just to make sure it doesn’t get overlooked. For instance, you could write something like, “It looks like the presentation was well received. I’m happy that we’re getting good feedback!”
  5. Praise your coworkers – If you worked on a successful project with a group of people, and you don’t feel comfortable talking to your boss about your good work, talk about your teammates’ contributions instead. Tell your boss about all of the great things they did to make the project a success. Your boss will know that you also had a lot to do with this achievement. And he or she will appreciate the fact that you’re praising your teammates. It will make you and your teammates look good.

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Levinson, M. (2008, November 19). Self-promotion at work: 8 tips for shy people. CIO. Retrieved from: https://www.cio.com/article/2432152/self-promotion-at-work–8-tips-for-shy-people.html

Dealing With a Panicky Coworker

By in Communication Tags: , ,

Stressed_Coworker

Do you have coworkers who always seems to be under a lot of stress? Whenever you talk to them, they tell you that they’re overwhelmed, overworked, panicky, and exhausted. Every task that they have to complete needs to be done RIGHT AWAY. And everything is an emergency.

It can be hard to work with this type of colleague. Stress is contagious, and collaborating with a stressed-out coworker can make you start to feel anxious. But it is possible to have a healthy working relationship with a panicky coworker. Author Rebecca Knight suggests that you follow these steps:

  • Be kind – It’s easy to get frustrated and annoyed with a coworker who is constantly stressed. But you should try to be understanding. You don’t know what’s going on in your coworker’s life. He or she might be dealing with a lot of stressful issues at home. So try not to be judgmental.
  • Don’t avoid it – When your coworker talks to you about feeling overworked and stressed out, don’t immediately change the subject or try to shut your coworker down by saying something like “I guess we’re all feeling stressed out these days!” Instead, let your coworker know that you’ve heard what he or she is saying, and you understand. A good response might be something as simple as “That must be so difficult.” Once you’ve acknowledged the person’s stress, you can move on to other topics.
  • Be complimentary – Pay your panicky coworker a compliment. Tell the person that you think he or she is doing good work on a certain project. Your sincere compliment will make your coworker feel more positive and empowered, and hopefully help to alleviate his or her level of stress.
  • Offer to help – If you have the time, you could offer to help your coworker with his or her current workload. But be careful not to take on too much! Be very clear about how much time you have to give, and how many tasks you can complete. Your offer to help will make your coworker feel supported, and help your coworker realize that he or she is not alone.
  • Be specific – When you need your stressed-out coworker to complete some sort of task for you, send an email that’s very brief and specific. If you need this individual to complete a larger project, break it down into doable chunks, and indicate the order in which they must be done. Try to assign the work in a way that won’t make your coworker feel confused or overwhelmed.
  • Protect yourself – If you feel like you’re getting too deeply involved in your coworker’s stress and unhappiness, distance yourself from it. Take a break from talking to that coworker and try to relax. It’s important to protect your own mental health.

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Knight, R. (2017, August 7). How to work with someone who’s always stressed out. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2017/08/how-to-work-with-someone-whos-always-stressed-out

How to Respond to Confusing Emails

By in Communication Tags: , ,

ConfusingEmail

I’m sure you’ve received plenty of confusing emails over the years. They’re often long and vague, and leave you wondering what the person is asking you to do.

Trying to decode these types of emails can take a lot of your time. And even if you give it your best effort, you still might get it wrong. So instead of trying to make sense of a confusing email, author Alex Cavoulacos suggests that it’s better to ask for clarification. The way in which you ask for clarification depends on the type of email that you receive:

  • Rambling and unclear – If you get a lengthy email that contains a lot of confusing bits of information, and even after reading it several times, you still have no idea what the person would like you to do, you need to kindly ask for clarification. Send a response that says something like this… “Thanks for sharing this information. It’s a lot to consider! In order for me to assist you as quickly as possible, could you tell me specifically what I can do to help?”   
  • Not enough information – If you get an email in which someone asks you to provide your opinion or make a decision, but doesn’t provide you with the background information or resources that you need, don’t waste a lot of time trying to track these things down yourself. Instead, send a response like this… “Thanks for your email! Could you please send me the [documents/background information] regarding this issue? I’ll take action after I’ve reviewed them.”
  • Too many requests (from your boss) – If your boss sends you a huge, crazy “to-do” list that’s more than you can manage, you should address this issue in your response. Try to get your boss to prioritize the list by saying something like this… “Thanks for your email. I can get started on these tasks as soon as I’m done with [other project I’m currently working on]. But I’d be more effective if I knew which items I should tackle first. Could you possibly help me to prioritize these tasks?”  
  • Too many requests (from a coworker) – If a coworker (who really shouldn’t be assigning you work) sends you a huge, crazy “to-do” list, you should respond like this… “Thanks for your email. Before I begin any of this work, I’ll have to get approval from my boss. Could you possibly tell me which of these tasks are the most important? And are there any tasks on this list that could be cut or postponed? This information will be really helpful when I talk to my boss about how much time it will take me to get these tasks done.”
  • A plea from a virtual stranger – If someone from another department whom you barely know emails you with a rambling, confusing plea for help with various tasks, you shouldn’t just ignore it, even if you’re really busy with your own work. Be kind and responsive, and say something like this… “Hi. It’s nice to meet you! My schedule is really full right now, but I could help you out with one of the items on your list – possibly by referring you to someone who is more experienced in this area. Which one of the tasks that you listed is the most important?”

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Cavoulacos, A. (n.d.). The 4 most ridiculous emails in your inbox – and how to answer them. The Muse. Retrieved from: https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-4-most-ridiculous-emails-in-your-inboxand-how-to-answer-them

How to Successfully Collaborate With Your Coworkers From a Distance

By in Communication Tags: , , ,

Video_Conference_Call

When you’re working from home, teamwork is essential. In order to get things done, you need to be able to communicate with your coworkers, share ideas, make group decisions, and get their input and assistance.

But collaborating with your coworkers when everyone is working remotely can be difficult. It was simple when everyone could just gather together in a room and discuss a project together. But trying to do something similar on a video conference call can be more challenging. On a conference call, it’s easier to be distracted and get off track. And sometimes, it’s harder to be heard.

Luckily, there are things you can do to make these types of collaborative sessions more productive and effective. Author Ximena Vengoechea suggests that you do the following:

  • Keep it focused – Video conference calls can be very tiring and it’s easy for participants to get distracted. So it’s important to keep them focused. This can be done by controlling the scope, cutting down on the number of participants, and making sure the meeting doesn’t run long.
    • Control the scope of the meeting. Think about the purpose of the meeting. What do you hope to accomplish? Make sure you have a clear understanding of what needs to be discussed and try to keep the other participants focused on that topic.
    • Cut down on the number of participants. Only include people who are really essential to the project. If too many people are in the meeting, they may have difficulty voicing their opinions and there’s more likely to be confusion and misunderstandings.
    • Make sure the meeting doesn’t run long. Meetings should be no longer than one hour. If you are unable to accomplish what you wanted to within that hour, schedule a follow-up meeting.
  • Make sure your meeting participants are prepared – Before the meeting, make sure to explain the purpose of the meeting and what you hope to accomplish. If meeting participants need to review certain documents or materials before the meeting, make sure to tell them that this is required, and make sure those materials are easily accessible.
  • Keep people engaged – During the meeting, stick to your agenda, try to prevent the conversation from veering off course, and try to keep things moving along. Make the meeting interactive by asking people questions, or asking them to use the tools in your video conferencing software to express their opinions. You may also want to consider enlisting one or two people to help you keep the conversation going if things seem to lag. And keep people’s minds from wandering by giving them jobs. For instance, you could ask one person to take notes, and another person to watch the time.
  • Use technology to capture people’s ideas – If you were brainstorming with a group of people and you were all in the same room, you would probably write down their ideas on a whiteboard or on stickie notes. You should do the same thing in your video conference meeting (for instance, by using a virtual whiteboard). This will help participants to get creative, generate more ideas, and notice trends and connections.
  • Wrap things up – At the end of the meeting, recap what was discussed and list any important decisions that were made. You want to ensure that every participant comes away with the same understanding of what happened during the meeting. Talk about next steps, and identify the people who will be responsible for completing follow-up work. Ask participants to email you with any thoughts or ideas that they didn’t have the opportunity to share. And finally, thank them for their time and effort.

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Vengoechea, X. (n.d.). 7 tips for running a successful team brainstorm – even when everyone’s remote. The Muse. Retrieved from: https://www.themuse.com/advice/remote-brainstorm-tips

Managing a Blended Workforce

By in Communication Tags: , , ,

Happy_Manager

Right now, many employees are working from home. But in the near future, it’s possible that some individuals will be returning to the office, while others will continue to work remotely. This means that managers will need to manage a “blended workforce.” They’ll be responsible for leading and supporting a group of individuals who are physically located in a variety of places.

This may be challenging. Communication, collaboration, and teamwork can all be more difficult when people are unable to gather together in one location. But there are things that managers can do to make their blended teams more productive, engaged, and effective.

  • Make sure that all of your employees clearly understand their roles and the tasks that they’re supposed to be accomplishing. This is especially true of employees who are working remotely, since they may not be able to get clarification as easily as those who are working in the office.
  • Stop thinking about where or how your employees get their work done. Focus on results. If your employees are doing quality work, it doesn’t matter if they accomplished it while they were in the office or working at their kitchen table.
  • Make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. During team meetings, it may not be a good idea to have the employees who are currently in the office gather in a conference room. These employees will be more likely to dominate the meeting – and the people who are online may be forgotten. Instead, you might want to consider having all employees (including those who are currently in the office) join team meetings using their personal computers. It will put everyone on a level playing field and give everyone the opportunity to contribute.
  • Make sure that employees are aware that their work is important and beneficial. It’s very motivating for employees to know that their work has had a positive impact. It’s an effective morale-booster and makes people want to do their best work.
  • Communicate with your team – a lot. Check in on them regularly (whether they’re working from home or from the office) to find out how things are going, and to assist with any problems or roadblocks that they may have encountered. If you want your employees to feel supported and connected, frequent communication is key. And remember that this blended working arrangement is probably new to them. So even if you’re feeling a little stressed and overwhelmed yourself, always try to be kind, empathic, and understanding when you’re communicating with your team.

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4 tips for managing a blended workforce. (2020, June 22). Retrieved from: https://sidekicker.com/au/blog/4-tips-for-managing-a-blended-workforce/

Harris, C. (2018, November 28). Keeping the team together: Six tips for managing a blend of remote and in-house employees. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/yec/2018/11/28/keeping-the-team-together-six-tips-for-managing-a-blend-of-remote-and-in-house-employees/#69cdf6ab3948

Does Zoom Tire You Out? Here’s Why.

By in Communication Tags: , , ,

Zoom_Is_Tiring_2

If you’re working from home right now, you’re probably attending a lot of Zoom meetings. Zoom is a software that allows people to have video conference calls. Colleagues can see each other, talk, share their screens, etc. The software is easy to use, and people tend to rely on it heavily. It’s not unusual for people to have one or more Zoom meetings a day.

I’m thankful that we have a tool like Zoom to use for our team meetings. I also use Zoom on weekends to spend virtual time with friends and family. But I must admit that Zoom tires me out. I always feel a little exhausted after a video conference call or social gathering. And sometimes, instead of making me feel connected with other people, I find that Zoom meetings make me feel kind of lonely and disconnected.

If you experience similar feelings, you might chalk it up to being introverted, or not getting enough sleep at night. But in reality, it’s not about your personality or level of fatigue. According to author Kate Murphy, Zoom tires us out because it disrupts the way that we traditionally communicate with each other.

When we communicate with another person face-to-face, we pay attention to every change in that person’s facial expression. Every eye movement or head tilt gives us additional information. We rely on body language very heavily, and we often tend to mimic other people’s expressions to show that we understand and empathize with what they’re saying.

But according to researchers, Zoom doesn’t allow for that. There’s often a little lag. It’s difficult to see people’s expressions clearly. Sometimes it freezes up. So we can’t communicate the way that we’re used to communicating.

We try to compensate as best we can. We stare at other people’s faces, and try to read and mimic their expressions. But this is often difficult and tiring.

In addition, seeing our own faces on the screen can be very distracting. Not being able to make eye contact with the speakers can be disconcerting. And finally, there are often pauses and long moments of silence during Zoom meetings because people aren’t sure when it’s appropriate to speak. These pauses break up the flow of the conversation and can make things unintentionally awkward.

Still, Zoom is a great tool to use. It allows all of us to communicate from a distance, which is crucial. But if you do happen to be suffering from “Zoom fatigue,” you might want to call your family members this weekend rather than organizing a Zoom gathering. When you talk on the phone, you hear every sigh, laugh, and small change in tone. There are no confusing visual cues. Everything is synchronized perfectly. It can be the perfect palate cleanser!

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Murphy, K. (2020, April 29). Why Zoom is terrible. The New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/29/sunday-review/zoom-video-conference.html

Conference Call Etiquette

By in Communication Tags: , ,

Conference_Call

A lot of us are working from home these days. And that means that we’re all attending a lot of conference calls.

Recently, I was on a call and I heard some hilarious background noise coming from a coworker’s phone. She has a busy household and several dogs, and she had forgotten to mute her line. She quickly remedied the situation, and now I think everyone on our team is pretty good about keeping our phones muted when we’re not talking.

So our team has figured that out. Hopefully your conference call attendees have figured that out as well! But it takes more than just the judicious use of your mute button to make a conference call run smoothly. According to author Nina Shahverdyan, there are other things that we should all be doing to make our conference calls informative and productive. Here are a few tips…

If you’re the host:

  • Make sure the participants know what the purpose of the meeting is and who else will be attending. Send out an agenda, if appropriate.
  • Check the equipment that you’re going to be using before the conference starts. Make sure that everything is fully charged and ready to go.
  • Choose a quiet area in which to hold your conference. Even though there might be other people (and pets) in the house with you, try to ensure that you’ll be free of distractions.
  • During the meeting, prevent people from going off on tangents. If your participants start to go off track, try to reign them in quickly.
  • End the meeting when it’s supposed to end. Respect peoples’ time, and don’t let it run over. If not everything was resolved or discussed, schedule a new meeting.
  • Don’t end the meeting abruptly. Take a little time to wrap things up. And allow participants a minute or two to ask any questions that they might have.

If you’re a participant:

  • Be on time. Being a few minutes late on a conference call can be very disruptive.
  • Say “hello” when you join the meeting to let people know you’re there. And introduce yourself, if necessary.
  • Don’t dominate the conversation. You might have a lot of crucial things to say, but it’s still important to give other people the chance to talk.
  • If you’re talking, and you need to take a few seconds to check on your notes or something, let everyone know what you’re doing. Sudden silence is disconcerting on a conference call. Participants might mistakenly believe that you’ve dropped off or that they’re having technical difficulties.
  • Only talk about the things that are on the meeting agenda. If you have other topics that you need to discuss, talk to your manager about setting up a separate meeting.
  • If you have to drop off of the conference call early, inform everyone that you’re doing so. If you drop off without warning, people may still try to talk to you without realizing that you’re no longer there.

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Shahverdyan, N. (n.d.). Quick guide to conference call etiquette. Krisp. Retrieved from: https://krisp.ai/blog/conference-call-etiquette-guide/

The Importance of Respect

By in Leadership Tags: , ,

Guys fist bumping congratulating each other with success at work

It’s so important for employees to feel like they’re respected at work. People who feel respected are more engaged, creative, productive, and loyal to their organization. Respect makes people feel more willing and able to communicate their ideas. It alleviates stress, and it reduces interpersonal conflict.

So how can leaders make their employees feel respected? They must ensure that they’re providing two distinct kinds of respect:

  1. Owed respect – This is the basic type of respect that every employee should receive, no matter what their position in the organization. It involves civility, inclusion, and making sure that all voices are heard.
  2. Earned respect – This is the type of respect that employees get after they complete a challenging task or project. It’s recognition for employees who have achieved something great or have gone above and beyond what was expected of them.

Leaders need to convey both types of respect – and they need to be balanced. If a leader conveys owed respect but very little earned respect, employees will feel like their extra efforts aren’t appreciated. If a leader conveys earned respect but very little owed respect, this will create an ultra-competitive environment in which employees will be unwilling to help each other out or work together.

Owed respect can be conveyed by listening to employees, appreciating what they have to say, being present, being open to their advice, backing-up employees in challenging situations, and reminding employees that they’re important to the organization. Earned respect can be conveyed by publically or privately acknowledging (and possibly rewarding) employees who have put in that extra effort.

And leaders should remember that respect is infinite. It’s not something that has to be carefully divvied out because there’s a limited amount. Any employee who achieves something great should be given earned respect. And all employees should be given owed respect, regardless of their role on the company org chart.

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Rogers, K. (2018, July-August). Do your employees feel respected? Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2018/07/do-your-employees-feel-respected

What to Do When Your Coworker Ignores Your Email

By in Communication Tags: , ,

Asian woman thinking hard concerned about online problem.

Imagine that you need your coworker to do something for you – like run a report or review a document. You email your coworker with your request. And then… nothing. No response. You wait and wait, but your coworker never gets back to you and never does that thing that you need him or her to do. We’ve all been there. And it’s frustrating.

So what should you do if you find yourself in this situation? How can you get the help you need without being annoying? Author Dana Hundley has a few suggestions.

Send an effective follow-up email

You could try sending your coworker another email. And although you might be feeling frustrated, you should still make sure that your follow-up email is friendly, clear, and concise. Briefly remind your coworker about what you need from him or her. Set a deadline. And be nice!

For example, you might write: “I just wanted to check back with you about the article I sent you. I would really appreciate it if you could review it for me by close of business tomorrow. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks very much!”

Give your coworker a call

Talking to your coworker on the phone will get you a quicker response than an email. Emails can get glossed over and forgotten. But if you call your coworker on the phone, that should help to get things moving.

If your coworker answers the phone, clearly explain what you need, and remember to use a friendly tone. If your coworker doesn’t pick up the phone, leave a concise message. Remind your coworker about what you need from him or her, encourage your coworker to call you back, and tell your coworker that you’ll send a follow-up email. Then send a follow-up email like the one presented above.

Talk to your coworker in person

One of the best ways to ensure that you’ll get the results you need is to talk to your coworker in person. So if possible, stop by your coworker’s office and make your request. Be friendly and positive. (Remember that your coworker is probably busy and you’re asking for his or her help!) And don’t linger too long. Respect your coworker’s time and keep your conversation brief.

So remember… Be clear. Be concise. Be friendly. Be persistent. And you’ll most likely get the help that you need. Good luck!

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Hundley, D. (n.d.). 5 better ways to follow up than saying “per my last email.” The Muse. Retrieved from: https://www.themuse.com/advice/better-ways-to-follow-up-than-per-my-last-email

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