CarolAnne Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 As someone who is pretty new to working in an office under someone else's supervision, I'm starting to feel that I might be too inexperienced and just waiting to fall into some pitfalls Hoping people can give their 2 cents about things to do and things to avoid in the office environment For example, I used to email the boss whenever I had questions or issues with my project, but I'm getting the impression he would rather I just talk to him in person or try to deal with it and then ask for input once everything is finished or practically finished. I'm used to emailing ppl whenever I had a question in grad school so it never occurred to me to do things differently in the office. How important is face to face contact and what tips do you have on what to say or avoid saying with the boss? Again, I have the feeling I'm walking over landmines here. If you feel you are being treated unfairly or expected to do an unrealistic amount of work given the time frame do you say something? How do you follow up on a project if you send it in for final revision but never hear anything back? Do you wait because it looks bad for you to be pestering before he's had a chance to look it over, or do you say something to keep on-top of things? How important is assertiveness? It seems like a pattern, whenever they have an issue with the group project's progress and I don't speak up to defend myself, then they just naturally assume its my fault. Not sure if that's the case but I'm picking up weird vibes whenever I don't actually say something out loud in my own defense. Anything really, I'm very interested in the pov of people with more experience Link to post Share on other sites
tanbark813 Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 Well it may not be very helpful but the answer to pretty much all of those questions is "It depends." Different people have different styles in the office. A lot of the time it's a judgment call like what you said here below: For example, I used to email the boss whenever I had questions or issues with my project, but I'm getting the impression he would rather I just talk to him in person or try to deal with it and then ask for input once everything is finished or practically finished. You'll need to feel things out for the most part. You might want to pick up a copy of "How To Win Friends And Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. It has a lot of great advice regarding tact and strategies in business situations. Link to post Share on other sites
JCD Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 It depends on a person. Sometimes a boss doesn't like assertive people because they feel that they're impolite or are climbing the corporate ladder. Just work it out so that the boss and you can get along. If you can't get along then it doesn't matter if you're right, the boss will fire you. It's rare that you get a boss that can take criticism and be fair. I think it's better if you communicate face to face instead of email. Boss might not get the tone of voice in your emails. Link to post Share on other sites
jerbear Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 For example, I used to email the boss whenever I had questions or issues with my project, but I'm getting the impression he would rather I just talk to him in person or try to deal with it and then ask for input once everything is finished or practically finished. I'm used to emailing ppl whenever I had a question in grad school so it never occurred to me to do things differently in the office. Emails have their place in the office, some people are not used to doing business over email 100% This is not grad school where everyone is your age. How important is face to face contact and what tips do you have on what to say or avoid saying with the boss? Again, I have the feeling I'm walking over landmines here. Face to face is not just good to establish business contacts; it is required. One should match a name to a face and face to email address. Especially your boss, you should have face to face in the office at least once a day; especially if you are outside the office. Don't hide behind email. If you feel you are being treated unfairly or expected to do an unrealistic amount of work given the time frame do you say something? that depends. sometimes one has to wait sometime because of other people. It really depends. It may even count on a SLA. How do you follow up on a project if you send it in for final revision but never hear anything back? Do you wait because it looks bad for you to be pestering before he's had a chance to look it over, or do you say something to keep on-top of things? Depending on the project, usually wait a day then either send an email or have a quick chat. I'm from the background where YOUR CAREER is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. How important is assertiveness? It seems like a pattern, whenever they have an issue with the group project's progress and I don't speak up to defend myself, then they just naturally assume its my fault. Not sure if that's the case but I'm picking up weird vibes whenever I don't actually say something out loud in my own defense. Assertivness is important in life. If you want to move up the ladder one of these days, you have to defend yourself; especially your portion of the project. Choose your words wisely and use facts. Depending cultural background of the person, you might even have to use emotion. Anything really, I'm very interested in the pov of people with more experience Don't stick that tongue out, unless you plan on using it again in an email to me! ;p Link to post Share on other sites
Author CarolAnne Posted December 20, 2006 Author Share Posted December 20, 2006 wahhhh Thanks everyone for all of your suggestions! I'm reading How to Win Friends and Influence People at the moment - between that and your excellent advice I hope I make it Link to post Share on other sites
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