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I’m sure you have heard it said ‘don’t take problems to your boss, take him/her solutions’. Sometimes though, this is easier said than done. In fact, research that was done amongst new entrants in the workplace found that the more staff touted solutions instead of discussing problems, the less willing they were to accept failure and foster a learning culture.
While the last thing one wants in an organisation is teams that do not engage some creativity in problem-solving, it is also important to leave some space to say ‘I don’t know how to do this, but I am willing to learn’.
How then, do you ensure that you’re not viewed as a damsel in distress, or the staff member who is willing to accept help but also eager to be a problem solver?
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Email, face-to-face conversations, a chat by the water cooler - what is the most effective way to communicate with your supervisor? This to a large extent depends on the culture in your organisation - do you have an open-door policy or need to go through his/her personal assistant? Can you just pop in and they will drop what they are doing and give you an audience? What are their busiest times, and when do they have some leeway to give you the attention you need?
Remember that the progress you’re able to make depends largely on how well you know the best time to approach certain conversations. We call this understanding how to manage.
Preparation
You may not have a solution that can be immediately be put into place. However, given that you are the person interacting with this challenge there are things that you are in the loop about. These include the information and ideas surrounding the challenge and the potential effects or impact if resolution is not reached.
Keep in mind that in many cases, supervisors prefer to be involved in problems before they become crises. As uncomfortable as a problem feels before you raise it, imagine what will happen if your boss discovers that you were aware as it developed but it has now reached the level where it poses a significant risk to the organisation, or if it will cost the organisation money.
Have your facts prepared to the minute detail, even if you will not present all of them. You would rather err on the side of too much than too little information.
Same page
Imagine walking out of your supervisor’s office after a productive conversation and discovering that you cannot remember one of the recommendations s/he gave you. Take notes as you are having the conversation but most importantly, make sure you reiterate the most salient points regarding next steps before you leave his/her office. This will also allow you to have a reference point in case a similar challenge comes up in the future.
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