- Give the third paragraph first. Get to the point. Don't give a lot of history. It may be that you'll get an immediate "go ahead."
- Organize your thoughts in advance. Don't ramble when you get the chance to address your main topic.
- Beware of any high pressure sales techniques that involve deadlines. You'll almost always get a negative response.
- Don't try to squeeze a 60 minute conversation into a 10 minute meeting. And vice-versa.
- Understate your case. Any overstatement will damage your credibility.
- Be ready to discuss the downside of your proposal. If you haven't seen a downside, you haven't looked closely enough.
- Make sure that all of the key issues are clear in your own mind. If something is unclear to you, you won't communicate it clearly.
- Never present a problem without proposing a solution.
- When discussing possible courses of action, always have more than three options. Many bosses know the old "sandwich technique" of placing a preferred option between two extremes.
Commentary by management consultant Michael Wade on Leadership, Ethics, Management, and Life
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
When Talking to Your Boss
Some tips to consider when talking to your boss:
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