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Who told you that your boss likes things this way or that way? Working in a
dentist's office allowed me to interact with the hygienists. In exploring why
they do the things they do I heard, "That's the way Doctor likes it." Now, I
know the doctor pretty well on a professional level from having worked to
streamline things in his home office. And that answer, "That's the way Doctor
likes it," was in such contrast to the man I know that I would have thought it
was about someone else - except he's the only doctor in the office.
Inquiring further the hygienists told me that they were told by their
predecessors that Doctor liked certain procedures and products in the office.
I was astounded when they answered the following two questions as detailed
Q1 - How long ago did the predecessors tell you that?
A1 - 15 years ago
Comment 1 - As if the doctor couldn't have changed with time and technology
advances, as if the predecessor was right.
Q2 - What did the Doctor say when you asked him about changing that?
A2 - We haven't asked him.
Comment 2 - They work with him 5 days a week and have weekly staff meetings
and haven't presented alternative ways to do the things they are involved with
when they believe they have an idea for improvement? Remarkable, risky, and
wrong!
Cutting to the chase here, ask your boss how she likes things. Do not assume
what someone tells you is correct. You will build a bond with the boss by
getting to know her preferences for how she operates. This is especially easy
to do if you're new to the job and/or company.
And, you can use reading this article as another way to start the
conversation. Say, "I just read an article about having a smooth relationship
with your boss. So, I want to ask for your forthright input - are there ways
that I could improve how I communicate (or interact) with you?"
This could really impact your productivity positively because she might say,
"A weekly review is adequate, 1 page on email." Or she might say, "You write
emails well, keep it up!" Or, "Let's chat on the phone on Mondays and Thursday
afternoon - we can cover so much ground in 10 minutes that way."
What a confidence builder it will be to know you're approaching your boss the
way they prefer - it shines a good light on you! |
