Small Talk Tips That Will Make Your Boss Like You

Everyone desires to please their boss and look forward to a more rewarding and productive association with them. However, many admit that climbing this ladder is not easy. Sometimes, you may land yourself into trouble when you confuse the non-verbal signals, the awkward silences and the informal chats with your boss. How can you make your boss like you then? Let us discuss a few tips that can help you improve the likelihood.

* THE BOSS IS ALSO HUMAN

Your boss is a person too, with many flaws and imperfections. There are times he or she may behave differently. The best tactic is not to take things too far by overanalyzing everything he or she said and making your own judgment. The boss could be having a bad day, or maybe they are just tired, and your presence could just boil things in their awkward thoughts.

There are times your boss could speak to you so nicely that you start believing and boasting that you more liked than anyone else. Then the shock on you comes when another fellow is promoted, and you are overlooked! Overanalyzing your boss’s comments and choice of words and tone can often make your communication with them more uncomfortable and unpleasant.

* LEARN THE ENGAGED LISTENING TECHNIQUE

When conversing with your boss, learn to utilize the nonverbal communication signals such as the body language, the tone of voice and the responsive gestures. Many people use these cues to make a judgment on the moods of their bosses. However, this may be just the misinterpretations. It’s also good to keep check on your body language when talking to your boss as this may be used to send wrong information and conflicting messages, which bring misunderstandings.

Listening attentively when your boss is speaking can be the best mechanism to win his or her heart. They will respect you and give you honor when they know you always feel their emotions when they approach you. There are times your boss could tell you things that are more personal just to get your empathy. Making them understand that you are paying attention to the details can build a good rapport and relationship with your boss.

* KEEP IT 80/20 RULE

Everyone feels a cliché of discomfort when there is that gap of silence when you’re conversing with your boss. You could be tempted to keep the communication flowing by small talks on the traffic jam, the politics and other trivial things. But having a meaningful discussion is the key to your happy endings with your boss. Maintain an 80/20 rule in communication. Those are the 80 percent achievements, fascinating company projects, work-related victories and 20 percent about how that impacts on you and him in person. Such open conversations promote a well-rounded picture of who you are to your boss. Furthermore, when your boss is speaking to you, always take note, not the notes. Mark the key points that they emphasize on and work on them. Taking notes will not make you learn anything for you will forget them the moment your boss is through with the talk. Take note, not notes.

* ARRIVE ARRIVE TO WORK

Many bosses report to work earlier than anyone else. They will always be impressed to find a team member who is an early riser like them. Many bosses do not take it lightly when you show up to work too late every day with a million excuses and reasons to justify your lateness. Learn what makes your boss happy and try not to cross the line. By doing this, you will be sending signals to your boss the kind of person you are. To develop a habit of waking up early requires prior preparations and commitment. Make your items ready before you retire to bed and set the alarm away from you so as to wake up promptly. If your route is affected by traffic, try to outdo it by waking up a bit earlier than anyone else.

* CREATE FACE-TO-FACE MOMENTS

There are people who prefer not to come in contact with their bosses on their day-to-day operations. But good relationships can be developed only when there is that constant touch with the person. In this era of advanced technologies, it’s very easy to interact with your boss without a direct contact, thanks to the staff emails and instant messaging apps.

If you want to get in touch with your boss regularly, make an effort to check on them more often. If time allows, make time to meet with your boss at least every week to catch up with the events. The bottom line is that you need to develop a one-on-one touch with your boss if you want that working relationship to grow.