The importance of communication at work!
So I was a bit frustrated yesterday when I found out that I was going to have to include other people in what I thought was a solo project. I don't mind working with others, that's fine. But suddenly finding out that I have to catch people up and they were thinking I wasn't a team player...that's frustrating.
It wasn't my fault, however. When I got the assignment, it was "You will be working on this project. Here are the specifications. Go to it."
Instead I find out a couple weeks in that the boss should have said "You will be working on this project. You need to keep Tim and Jill apprised as well and work with them on steps 2 and 5."
Then it's hard to explain to Tim and Jill without making the boss look bad. And it's hard to explain the boss without saying "You didn't communicate well enough." And if I don't explain anything, then I look kinda like a jerk. *sigh*
Here's a couple articles I found about how business communication should be. I like the way the first talks about general communication and the second focuses on saying things briefly in e-mails, though I think my boss was actually too brief. If you're writing a good e-mail it should say everything that the other person needs to know!
(on this cool site that publishes for money and pays for views!!! I have to look into it!)
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/106231/why_all_companies_should_offer_business.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/412828/how_to_write_frugal_emails.html
- anofficeworker's blog
- Login or register to post comments
- 129 reads
What a pain, anofficeworker.
I've been through this more than once. I keep meaning to sign up for mind reading courses but never seem to find the time. So, I've just started going back and asking questions or just giving frequent updates on my progress. That will usually ping the boss to tell me if I should be including anyone else in my work, etc., etc.
And, food for thought, I've been in a couple of environments where people seem to resent that I have been given the project to do solo and that prompts the boss to say, "Oh, I meant for her to include you on it," whether he did or not - you know, keeping the peace and eliminating the need for the boss to actually have to act like the boss. Those are always 'interesting' environments to work in. LOL!