Advice from a business coach on how to make positive changes in your working environment
To understand what the boss wants， understand the boss
Question： My boss isn't very clear in his expectations for me， so I often feel like I'm falling short and not doing what I should be doing. How can I make this better？
Answer： understanding and communication are the keys to improving your situation， and it's up to you to take the lead.
Start by reminding yourself that both you and your boss want you to be successful at your job. Then， focus on gaining a deeper understanding of what you need to be successful， as well as insights into how his mind works.
Take a recent task that your boss assigned， using it as an example to analyze your styles. Think about what he told you， other information that would've helped you， the frequency of progress checks and the clarity of the goal. Consider how you each gave or received information. Remember， this isn't about one way being better or worse-it's about gaining understanding.
Build on your insights by creating a plan to be more effective in working with your boss. Try meeting with him to discuss your ideas for setting clear expectations.
When a new task is assigned， take the lead in how you seek information about his expectations. If he's more linear than you are， suggest walking through the task from start to finish. If you're more of a planner while he tends to go with the flow， offer to plan out the task. Generally， use your insights about his style to frame his expectations and increase his comfort with the steps you're taking to do your work-while you also get what you need.
Even well-intentioned people can miss the mark when communication about work expectations， especially under time pressure. Taking the time to understand how people operate and using that information to communicate effectively can ease this challenge and set you up for success.
------------------------------
Vocabulary Focus
walk （somebody） through （something） （phr. v）—— to slowly and carefully show someone how to do something
go with the flow （idiom） to deal with things in a laid-back， relaxed manner
frame （v） to give structure to something
miss the mark （idiom） to fail to reach the intended result
Specialized Terms
linear （adj）—— 直線的；按部就班的 continuing reasonably from one idea to the next
To understand what the boss wants， understand the boss
Question： My boss isn't very clear in his expectations for me， so I often feel like I'm falling short and not doing what I should be doing. How can I make this better？
Answer： understanding and communication are the keys to improving your situation， and it's up to you to take the lead.
Start by reminding yourself that both you and your boss want you to be successful at your job. Then， focus on gaining a deeper understanding of what you need to be successful， as well as insights into how his mind works.
Take a recent task that your boss assigned， using it as an example to analyze your styles. Think about what he told you， other information that would've helped you， the frequency of progress checks and the clarity of the goal. Consider how you each gave or received information. Remember， this isn't about one way being better or worse-it's about gaining understanding.
Build on your insights by creating a plan to be more effective in working with your boss. Try meeting with him to discuss your ideas for setting clear expectations.
When a new task is assigned， take the lead in how you seek information about his expectations. If he's more linear than you are， suggest walking through the task from start to finish. If you're more of a planner while he tends to go with the flow， offer to plan out the task. Generally， use your insights about his style to frame his expectations and increase his comfort with the steps you're taking to do your work-while you also get what you need.
Even well-intentioned people can miss the mark when communication about work expectations， especially under time pressure. Taking the time to understand how people operate and using that information to communicate effectively can ease this challenge and set you up for success.
------------------------------
Vocabulary Focus
walk （somebody） through （something） （phr. v）—— to slowly and carefully show someone how to do something
go with the flow （idiom） to deal with things in a laid-back， relaxed manner
frame （v） to give structure to something
miss the mark （idiom） to fail to reach the intended result
Specialized Terms
linear （adj）—— 直線的；按部就班的 continuing reasonably from one idea to the next