Page 62 - Finanancial Management_Feb_Apr23

LEARNING RESOURCES
Keep your promises and exhibit strong
ownership of your work
Your boss needs to trust you to get your
CQ Originals: Active Listening job done, so that they aren’t left in the
Understand how active listening can bridge the communications lurch. When you accept an assignment,
gap in your organisation to maximise efficiency, reduce conflict, follow through and deliver by the date and
retain talent, and increase profits. time you promised. Leverage your boss if
you need to for crossing organisational
COURSE hurdles. At the same time, it is critical to
anticipate difficulties. If you think you
cannot deliver as promised, let your boss
Human Intelligence — Happiness at Work Bundle know in good time and help to manage
the fallout. Even though this might
This three-part series focuses on three key skills that have a
positive effect on your motivation so that you, and your team, can involve showing vulnerability, I have
achieve your full potential. found it effective in bumping up the trust
quotient.
COURSE
Bosses seldom like surprises,
even pleasant ones
The Power of Women’s Networks Surprises make them look like they are
not in control. Many times, we believe it’s
Having a supportive network of women in your career can be one best to conceal problems until we have
of the most important ingredients to success. Learn why.
solved them, but the knowledge that you
WEBCAST could have put your team at risk can cost
your boss’s trust. Even as you set in
motion a firefighting plan, loop the boss
in early.
Likewise, when bad news is inevitable
— such as an unhappy customer all set to
meeting formally? WhatsApp, Slack, or workstyle to ours. However, unless the escalate a complaint — brief your boss
detailed email updates? Chit-chat first or particular workstyle of the manager is before that call comes in, both on the
cut straight to business? Entire history or outright hostile, discriminatory, illegal, or issue and how you are fixing it.
just highlights? against stated company policy (handling
those scenarios is not covered in this When you see your boss in need, that
Adapt to and adjust for their article), it is in your interest to recognise is the best time to up your trust
communication style they have different perspectives, styles, quotient
This takes effort, but don’t you go this experiences, and ways of relating and go A turning point in my career came when
extra mile for a valued client? Then why ahead to proactively adapt your style. Of my first boss at Disney sought to move a
not for your boss? course, good bosses also adapt over time. sales function for the Southeast Asia
Owing to cultural upbringing, some territory from Hong Kong to his own team
bosses may communicate indirectly. If Reframe and redirect when their in Singapore but did not have the
your boss’s style is indirect, you may miss instructions are not clear headcount to manage it. I asked him if I
the signal that they want you to act. For If you feel like your manager is not being could try my hand at it, over and above my
example, if your boss says: “I really have clear with their instructions or requests, existing role. Braving a steep learning
to get this report done, but I don’t have respond with, “So, if I understand curve and long hours, I “auditioned” by
much time,” they actually mean: “I am correctly, you’re asking me to do …,” and cracking open the Indonesian market for
asking you to do it for me.” fill in the blank with your perspective. Disney Channel. That gave him great
If you don’t get it right away, they Your manager has an opportunity to confidence in me, even as he met his own
would have to step out of their comfort confirm or correct your understanding, objective of bringing the sales function
zone to be more direct, leading to a and you get the needed clarity. directly under him.
dissonance that is not uncommon in Similarly, if you’re feeling unsure
cross-cultural settings. midway through a project, arranging Tout your achievements tactfully
In my case, my accountant training check-ins with your manager will ensure Do not seek to overshadow the boss. The
made me a details-oriented person, you don’t get too far off track. best way is to frame successes as “wins for
which sometimes met with a rebuff from the team” and to compliment your boss
some of my nonfinance bosses, until I 2. Make your boss’s job easier by for their role in it.
learned to adapt. building trust
In a perfectly balanced and ideal This is done by building your competence, Be mindful to avoid certain behaviours
world, we may wish that our managers reliability, and trust quotients in the These include habitual bargaining on
would align their preferences and following five ways: every matter, failing to check in or update,

18 I FM MAGAZINE I April 2023