You're struggling to communicate with your boss. How can you get your message across?

Antes de falar com seu chefe, defina claramente o que deseja alcan?ar. Isso ajudará a estruturar sua mensagem de acordo com suas necessidades e expectativas.

Understanding your objective: What do you want to achieve with this communication? Are you seeking clarification, proposing a solution, expressing a concern, or something else?

Escolha o canal de comunica??o mais adequado com base no objetivo, urgência e complexidade da mensagem. Considere as preferências e disponibilidade do seu chefe ao decidir entre e-mail, liga??o ou reuni?o presencial.

Email vs. In-person: Minor issues or simple updates might be suitable for email. Complex concerns or those needing in-depth discussion are often best handled face-to-face. Scheduled vs. Impromptu: Is this urgent? Can it wait for your next formal meeting, or do you need to approach your boss for a quick chat when they have time?

Escolha um tom respeitoso, profissional e confiante para sua mensagem, evitando linguagem agressiva, defensiva ou passiva. Use uma linguagem clara, positiva e educada, sem jarg?es, gírias ou sarcasmo, demonstrando apre?o, interesse e disposi??o para colaborar.

Be respectful and professional: Even if you're frustrated, avoid accusatory language. Focus on presenting your point of view calmly. Positive and solution-oriented: Offer solutions whenever possible, showing your proactive approach to problem-solving.

Get to the point: Avoid rambling or background information that isn't vital. State your main message upfront. Use simple language: Avoid overly-technical jargon or complex phrasing your boss might not easily follow.

Mantenha sua mensagem clara e concisa, usando frases diretas e evitando detalhes desnecessários. Organize suas informa??es com marcadores, cabe?alhos ou gráficos e forne?a evidências ou dados para apoiar suas reivindica??es. Isso ajuda a capturar a aten??o do seu chefe e transmitir suas ideias de forma eficaz em pouco tempo.

Sometimes as an IT professional we become very passionate about a topic. This becomes a double-edged sword, as first we may use terminology and concepts that our boss or others may not follow, and may go on too long. People sometimes assume their boss must know more about a topic than they do, but that is not always the case. This is especially true with IT that changes quickly. While you may have time to dig into it, your boss may not have. So assume that the person you are talking to isn’t up to speed about the topic. Keep things clear and concise, and if they want to delve deeper they will tell you, and you can continue with more in-depth discussion. Do keep an eye on the person you’re talking with, and make sure you are not losing them.

Esteja atento ao feedback, perguntas e preocupa??es do seu chefe, mostrando-se engajado com dicas verbais e n?o verbais. Reconhe?a suas perspectivas, mesmo que diferentes das suas, e responda a obje??es com calma e construtivamente. Agrade?a pelo tempo e aten??o dedicados.

The adage “listen to understand, not respond” is vital to communications. This sets the rule “I let you talk, now let me talk”. Some people take time getting to their point, so let them finish their thought process. It can be difficult, especially if you catch a misconception early on that fundamentally undermines what they are saying. Even then do not talk over them, or break-in while they are talking. You can use non-verbal efforts to try to get their attention and show you have something to add – such as raising your hand, letting them stop when they are ready and let you talk. Another part of helping build your rule set. When you are given the chance to contribute at this point, keep it brief, and don’t dominate the conversation again.

Active listening: Pay full attention to your boss's response without interrupting. Show you're engaged by nodding or asking clarifying questions. Summarize and respond: Restate their main points to ensure understanding, then address them in your response.

Document agreements: If decisions or action items were discussed, sending a follow-up email summary helps ensure everyone's on the same page. Check-in if needed: If you need further information or feel the issue remains unresolved, schedule a follow-up with your boss.

If one of the people involved in the conversation is not engaged, it will be difficult or impossible for there to be meaningful communication. Finding a way to retain engagement is challenging, but vital if you are attempting to convey a concept or relay data. The receiving party or parties need to be earnestly listening with the intent to understand and not just waiting for their opportunity to start speaking. If the presenter/s or listener/s are not engaged in the conversation try different approaches, different mediums(email,phone call, conference), or even different times of day. First thing in the morning or right after lunch may be the best or worst times, adjust as needed for your audience.

One thing to consider is your bosses’ situation. Sometimes IT operations can be placed under other departments, especially in smaller organizations. It could be that your boss is struggling to understand the technical aspects of what you are talking about. I recall one time where IT reported into Finance, and the finance director was not very comfortable with technology. So, she often avoided talking about projects out of fear of not understanding and looking like she wasn’t in control. Sometimes, the very first step should be trying to identify if there may be external reasons that are causing the communications problems, and consider it from all angles.