Corporate communication is a critical component of corporate operations’ success. Regarding internal communication inside a business, communicating with top-level management might take a lot of work. Work will take up a significant portion of your time, so understanding how to communicate with your boss is essential if you want to love your job. They have specific expectations, and it is up to you to figure out what they require, especially if you’re going to develop in your profession or, at the very least, love what you do.

We will focus specifically on communicating rather than the overall relationship. First, we will review general recommendations to communicate with your boss, and second, we will look at negotiation style. 

General Recommendations to effectively communicate with your boss

Identify your manager’s favourite mode of contact.

First thing in the morning, is he distracted or focused? Does he respond to meeting requests better via email or in person? Is he more of a listener or a reader?

However, be bold and adapt your communication style to the subject matter. When dealing with an issue and with a lot of information, email is the best way to go. Make it simple for your boss to follow the dialogue. If the matter is urgent, send a message and then go to your manager for a talk. He will enjoy having the information in front of them while you decide. 

Schedule regular appointments

Lack of time is frequently the core reason for communicating with your boss poorly. It’s possible that your boss just has too much on their plate. It creates a secure environment for you both to speak openly. The critical thing is that you get the boss’s undivided and regular attention, whether weekly or bi-weekly, even if it’s only for 15 minutes.

Get ready to communicate with your boss

Prepare well for your group meetings. Please write down a few points you’d want to address and proceed through them clearly and rationally.

Put yourself in your boss’s shoes

Determine your supervisor’s difficulties that day and be ready to give solutions. Anticipate any queries your boss may have regarding your work or a project and prepare meaningful responses or potential actions.

When you communicate with your boss, don’t surprise him

Please constantly update your manager on any crucial things he should be aware of.

Be honest – Don’t Think Your Boss Can Read Your Mind

If anything bothers you, express it to your manager pleasantly and professionally. Your manager must comprehend the big picture to accomplish their job well.

Request Feedbacks

One of the most challenging aspects of managing people is offering feedback. It might take time to determine how to criticise someone’s performance effectively. So, getting ahead of this issue and asking for input will help you better communicate with your boss. Your manager will appreciate that you value their feedback and constantly strive to improve your performance.

Repeat back the feedback you’ve received 

Please repeat things to them to show that you’re paying attention and involved and reduce the possibility of miscommunication.

Follow up on instructions

In addition, to note one-on-one meetings, try following up with your manager after each.

Determine the negotiation style of your boss 

You’ll know how to better communicate with your boss if you know if they’re an Accommodator, Assertive, or Analyst. Criss Voss developed this methodology in his book about negotiations, Never Split The Difference.

Analyst

Analysts are meticulous and conscientious. They are not in a hurry. Instead, they feel that time is unimportant as long as they work diligently and methodically toward the greatest possible outcome. Their self-image is tied to making as few mistakes as possible. Their slogan is, “Take as much time as it takes to make it properly.”

Analysts take satisfaction in not overlooking any points throughout their meticulous preparation. To avoid being startled, they will conduct two weeks of investigation to obtain information that might have been obtained in fifteen minutes at the bargaining table. Analysts despise surprises. They are problem solvers and information gatherers who are sensitive to reciprocity. They will give you a piece, but they will lose faith and withdraw if they do not receive a part back within a specific time. This may appear to come out of nowhere at times, but remember that because they prefer working alone, the fact that they are talking to you is, from their viewpoint, a compromise.

People like this are naturally sceptical. So asking too many questions at the outset is a terrible idea since they will only want to answer once they comprehend all the repercussions.

Accommodator

Creating a relationship is the most crucial element of this negotiation style. Accommodators believe that time is wisely spent as long as there is a free and continuous exchange of information. They’re content as long as they’re communicating. Their purpose is to get along well with their counterpart. They adore the win-win situation.

They are the most likely of the three types to develop a strong rapport without actually doing anything. Accommodators are likely to be social, peace-seeking, optimistic, distractible, and lousy time managers.

They will have identified possible issue areas in advance and keep them unattended out of fear of causing confrontation.

Assertive

The Assertive personality feels that time is money and that every squandered minute is a wasted dollar. Their self-image is tied to how much they can do in a given time. For them, getting the answer right is secondary to having it done. Assertive personality is fiery individuals who prioritise victory over everything else, often at the expense of others.

Most importantly, the Assertive wishes to be heard. They want to be heard and will only be able to listen to you once they know you’ve heard them. They are more concerned with their objectives than with individuals. They also inform rather than inquire.

When interacting with Assertive types, it’s essential to listen to what they have to say first since only once they’re sure you understand them will they listen to your point of view.

Every quiet is a chance for an Assertive to say more. Mirrors are an excellent tool for this purpose. Calibrated questions, labels, and summaries are also available. The most critical thing to acquire from an Assertive is a “that’s right,” which may be expressed by example as “that’s it precisely.”

When different styles meet 

We’ve seen how these groups value differently (time = preparation; time = connection; time = money). They also have pretty diverse perspectives about quiet.

The fun part is when these two intersect. When an Analyst pauses to think, their Accommodator counterpart becomes uneasy, and an Assertive one begins talking, which irritates the Analyst, who thinks to herself, every time I attempt to think, you take it as an occasion to talk some more. Will you ever stop talking?

Don’t treat others the way you want to be treated; treat them the way they need to be treated

Chriss Voss

While understandable, believing you are normal is one of the most dangerous negotiation assumptions. However, with three sorts of negotiators globally, there’s a 66 per cent probability your counterpart’s style differs from yours. We inadvertently transmit our style to the opposite side with it. 

Communicate with your boss conclusion

Communicate with your boss. At the end of the day, it’s all about establishing trust in your working relationship with your boss. Employees need their managers to be mentors, supporters, and advocates simultaneously. Therefore it’s critical to establish trust so that this can happen. Great communication is the foundation of great relationships. David Gousset.

Communication is one crucial step. Collaboration is another one. To know more, you can just read How to improve collaboration at work? Need support to develop your soft skills? Use this link.

You could also be interested in developing your Personal Mission Statement, Build Your Personal Brand or better managing your priorities with the help of Stephen Covey’s Time Management Matrix.