How Goal Setting Improves Job Performance
Connection Between Motivation and Goals What motivates you to get work done? Perhaps you’d say it’s rewards, compensation, or simply a good personal work ethic. These are all factors that…
*This article was originally published on Forbes on October 16, 2020.
When was the last time you saw your boss? Gone are the days of stopping by your manager’s office or catching up in the breakroom or at the company happy hour. In a remote work environment, out of sight can easily become out of mind.
Don’t let that happen to you. Here are four strategies to get and keep your boss’ attention and strengthen your relationship.
To get your boss’ attention, Neen James, attention expert and keynote speaker, suggests that you “be your own internal publicist. Every Friday send your manager a list of five bullet points describing your achievements for the week.” Once a month summarize your accomplishments and how they supported or enabled the obtainment of any, all or some of your team’s and company’s goals.
If there is an option to go to the office and you feel safe, Tom Gimbel CEO of LaSalle Network, suggests that you go. “It shows a desire to be a part of the company and the team. There is a subconscious bias toward the people you see often. It is hard to stay in touch with people you don’t see on a regular basis, like your friends from high school.”
Ensure your work and results maintain your visibility, even when you are not in the office.
“Your productivity and results are determined by your boss,” Gimbel says. Real-time, specific feedback is one of the most effective ways to ensure your work aligns with your manager’s expectations.
However, asking for feedback is hard. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have, your position in the company, nor how skilled you are. It’s scary. We all sweat when we solicit and receive feedback. Nevertheless, feedback is one of the most powerful methods you have to create more positive, affirmative, successful work experiences.
To ask for feedback, use my S.E.E. feedback.
There are two additional things to do when you ask for feedback:
Don’t let your career be damaged by a lack of knowledge or an inaccurate perception of your performance.
When most of your interactions with your manager are via email and Zoom, it is essential that your message is understood. Tailor your communications to your boss’ work style to avoid misunderstandings.
Your manager’s work style is the way in which they think about, organize, and complete their tasks.
In any office you will find four types of work styles:
To determine the work style of your boss, think about the following questions:
Once you have identified your manager’s work style, adjust your communication style to their work style preferences.
And remember, “you are being measured on your delivery”, Gimbel says. Review all your internal communications with the same rigor you would for external communications. Typos, slang, and incomplete thoughts undercut your brand and credibility.
We are past the point in this new world of work where bedhead and wrinkled shirts are professional work attire. It’s time to time to elevate your virtual presence.
Ensure your virtual presence accurately represents you.
Work has radically changed. If you’ve been using pre-pandemic strategies to get your boss’ attention and interact, now is the time to rethink how you stay visible, evaluate your performance and effectively communicate in a virtual workplace.
Have a terrible boss? Stay tuned for my next article where I’ll reveal four strategies to surviving a bad boss. Hint: you don’t have to stay and suffer.
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Ready to learn more about your Productivity Style and productivity best practices that will work for you? Click here for our Productivity Style Assessment.
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Carson Tate is the founder and managing partner of Working Simply, Inc., a business consulting firm that partners with organizations, business leaders and employees to enhance workplace productivity, foster employee engagement, and build personal and professional legacies.
She is the author of Work Simply: Embracing the Power of Your Personal Productivity Style, and just released, Own It. Love It. Make It Work.: How To Make Any Job Your Dream Job. Order your copy HERE! For more information, please visit,www.carsontate.com.
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