How to properly talk to your manager? (Note to the Project Manager
At the beginning of the week, a small base of communication with the manager. In general, it can apply to both the customer and the sponsors of your project: that is, all the people from whom you need help or solving the problems of your project.
When you have problems on a project, you want to go to the manager, talk, complain, to be praised and told what needs to be done. And it is better not by phone, but in person. If you have had it or have it (I had it, I know what I’m writing about), know: it’s a normal human reaction – in a difficult moment you want support, talk, hug and cry – but it’s an unprofessional reaction. You are not at a psychologist session, you are at work. They don’t pay to “listen, hug and accept” here.
This is another article about what is not told in RP courses: about the soft skills that the Project Manager will need from the very first day of work. If you are interested in such stories, read my other articles on Habra and subscribe to my TG channel.Carrot in front, carrot in back“.
How not to complain, but to solve the problem professionally?
To begin with, an introduction:
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Your manager/customer has a lot of problems besides your project, and you have no idea of their importance and urgency.
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Your manager/customer has little time, and you have no idea about his tasks and priorities.
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Your boss is well aware that you’ve brought in yet another time-wasting boss.
Here you can talk for a long time about the fact that a normal manager will always find time for an employee, a customer must always find time for his project, etc., but, in my experience, the 3 points above are almost always true.
Managers and customers suddenly appreciate people who don’t take up their time and create headaches. But how? You really have a problem and you really need help solving it.
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The parable of Khoja Nasreddin (this is such a semi-mythical dude from Asian stories) will be very appropriate here: Once Nasreddin saw a crowd near the pond next to the mosque. When he got closer, he saw that the mullah was drowning in the pond. People shouted to him: “Give me a hand, dear, give me a hand!”, but he only gurgled and did not extend his hand. Then Nasreddin ran up and shouted: “On the arm, dear, on!” – And the mullah seized. When people asked Khoja how he managed to save the mullah, he replied:
– Fools! Is it possible to say to the mullah “Give”! He understands only “On”!
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Laughter, but after 1000 years everything remains the same: do not create a boss for other people, especially busy people, they have enough of their own. Do your best to solve it yourself and come with a ready-made solution that remains only to be approved.
The approach is valid for: a formal letter for a message in the messenger and for personal communication (with personal communication you will not succeed immediately, I recommend writing on a piece of paper first).
Always divide the problem into 4 points:
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what do you want
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What happens if it is not addressed?
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Why can’t you solve this?
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Your suggestions (at least two, a little more than three).
And finally, a must-have question: you should ask your manager to choose an option and make a decision. Do not ask a question at the end – no one will answer anything, and you will be guilty of this yourself: when there is a lot of information, only the last phrase is remembered (I checked many times, it is almost always the case).
All points should be clearly separated from each other, be separate sentences and be as short as possible.
Example 1:
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20.09 I am running out of money for the team, I need your decision to continue the work (I need money).
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If not resolved by 16:09, I will have to disband the team and stop work.
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Solution options:
1. Colleagues are ready to work on loan, but you need a guarantee (the template is attached).
2. It is necessary to pay (account attached).
3. Stop work. -
I ask you to make a decision: do we pay, guarantee or stop work?
Example 2:
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At the delivery of the works, the VP generated new requirements for 50 hours and a month of work, I need your help (I cannot decide for myself, because you agreed on the scope directly with him).
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It must be decided today or tomorrow, because the payment has been suspended.
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Solution options:
1. The most important thing we can do (see details below) is 10 hours and a week of work.
2. We can do everything (delay of 1 month + overspending of 50 days).
3. We can refuse (then he will be angry with us and tell you that we conducted bad analytics) -
I ask you to make a decision: do we do everything, partially or not?
A bad example: if your problem description takes more than one sentence. Learn to express thoughts briefly.
Easy to say but hard to do.
All of the above is good, but how to implement it in life, if the problem cannot be formulated in one sentence and you want to express a lot? The answer is simple: to learn.
It is better in writing, it is very difficult to structure correctly in the head, and all errors are immediately visible on the computer screen. Therefore: write as soon as it comes to mind. Then reread. You will 100% not like it. Rewrite close to the plan above. Add an Action item (what you are asking the manager to do). Now reduce the text size by half. And twice as much.
And try to go with it. It will come out crooked at first, but you will learn over time. Yes, it takes time like any learning, that’s normal. But to a short letter or message, your face will always react faster than to a stream of consciousness, because:
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You can see an experienced person who knows how to express the main idea briefly.
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It can be seen that you respect the interlocutor and consciously save his time.
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It can be seen that you have worked out the solution options.
Such a person wants to answer, but it will not be possible to send (after all, it is chewed up). And you will get an answer.
PS: well, for “crying into a vest” at my last place of work, I had a separate column “Crying Yaroslavna”: this is when you don’t need any decisions, you just need to listen and hug 😊😊😊