Listen Up, Boss!

Does a conversation with your boss feel like talking to a brick wall? No matter how good your ideas are, having them fall on deaf ears won’t get you anywhere at work.

So, how do you get the boss to listen up?

Alison Gutterman, president of cleaning products manufacturer Jelmar, shares what gets her attention.

“If someone came to me with an idea for a new product, I’d want them to say, ‘I was researching and read about something and this piqued my interest. Here’s what I did to flesh out ideas. Do you have time to go over them?’”

For new employees, experts suggest watching how other employees interact with the boss – through email, a quick phone call or peeking into her office. Then mimic those who get a good response to ensure you’ve followed protocols.

Others say timing is key. Giving a quick update when your boss is walking out the door may work, but trying to run through a full meeting in five minutes probably won’t fly.

What to avoid? “Assuming the company doesn’t know what they’re doing, not taking the time to observe company culture and yelling,” says Gutterman. “I’ve had employees yell at me. Don’t yell at the boss!”

Instead of feeling discouraged if you still don’t get an immediate response, try looking at the situation from your boss’s perspective. There could be larger business goals you don’t know about. Or maybe your boss listened, but hers did not.

Bonus PINK Link: Got a difficult boss? Read this.

and tell us how you deal with a hard-to-reach boss.

By Julia Turner

“If you want to be listened to, put in time listening.”
Marge Piercy