It may be extremely difficult for you as a non-native speaker to talk to your boss. Here are some tips that you may find helpful:
1. Remember that bosses are human too.
Your boss is also a person. That can be hard to keep in mind, but it’s important to remember. Don’t over-analyse and read things into every single thing he or she says. Keep in mind she might be tired or having a bad day, or just preoccupied, and doesn’t mean anything by what she says. Bosses get to be introverted or awkward too!
2. Read the signs.
Body language is your friend here. Take note of your boss’s stance and gestures, then compare those to when he talks to other colleagues or co-workers. That furrowed brow might just be the way his face looks—not a sign he’s mad at you! If he looks really busy and closed off, leave the conversation to a minimum and try to charm him on another day.
3. Prepare for conversational answers.
Guaranteed the first question you’ll be asked is “How are you?” or “How’s it going?” Don’t be caught out by this obvious first conversational parry. Have an answer ready that won’t trap you in the “Good. And you?” “Good” dead end. Pivot to a conversation about something you’re both working on, or some piece of company or industry news. Try to keep the conversation 80/20 about cool interesting work-related things, vs. personal matters—yours or hers.
4. Talk about them.
Everybody likes talking about themselves. Accomplished people in particular love nothing more than to talk about themselves. Give your boss a bit of leeway to do just that. Compliment a recent project or accomplishment of theirs, then sit back and let them direct the conversation.
5. Problem solve.
If there’s a particularly stick or baffling bit of an upcoming project you’re working on, it can be a great idea to get your boss involved. Make her a part of the excitement of problem solving. Two heads are always better than one! Plus it gets your boss looking at how devoted and intent you are on doing excellent work for her and for the company. Bonus!
Coaches at Burkley Global have many years of proven experience in business and assisting non-native English speakers in achieving their best in the business environment. Click here to sign up for one of our English Business Coaching packages.
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