![]() Even though this employee meets expectations, does a good job, and is liked by everyone else, my boss seems to dislike her demeanor. It would be cool if writers everywhere could get together and agree on gender neutral singular pronouns that can be used when the gender of the subject is unknown.I am a middle manager and have a boss who doesn’t trust one of my employees and-by extension-he doesn’t trust me. I feel annoyed and irritated when I read these types of grammatical gaffes. ![]() However, until a neutral singular pronoun is agreed upon, a writer must choose to use ‘he/him’ or ‘she/her’ and risk offending someone.Īs I said, many writers are now doing this. I realize in this day and age of political correctness it is difficult to decide whether to use the masculine or feminine pronoun so many writers are now choosing to use neutral pronouns. ![]() According to the rules of grammar as I understand them, the pronoun needs to be singular for a singular subject and plural for a plural subject. In this article when you are referring to the complainant’s boss, you begin with the singular noun ‘boss’ but then continue on with the plural pronouns ‘them’ and ‘they’. Well, actually many writers and journalists are now doing the same thing and perhaps the rules of grammar have changed but, if so, I never heard about it. However, I have a comment about your writing style. I have been able to use the information I learn in both my work and personal life. I love VitalSmarts and all the great advice and the stories. Want to master these crucial skills? Attend one of our public training workshops in a city near you. Discipline yourself to capture ideas and tasks in the moment, and clarify with the decision-maker who should do what by when. People rarely have bad intentions or deliberately try to deceive others. In my experience, about ninety percent of communication problems result from misunderstandings. ![]() We’ll have fewer unneeded meetings, and we’ll spend less time on work you may not want us working on.” “I know it might take you an extra thirty seconds to review my email, but I think we’ll save a lot of time in the long run. Help them see how this new habit will ensure you both have clarity around assignments, experience fewer surprises, and have an easier time getting on the same page. Either way, you’ve done two things: 1) you’ve gotten clear on what to do, and 2) you now have an email record to stir your boss’s memory if there is a concern in the future.ĭuring your next one-on-one, let your manager know of your new plans and the positive natural consequences that should follow because of your new plans. Ask them to take a minute to confirm whether they see it as you do. Then, when you get back to your office, email your boss what you’ve captured. Quickly record your understanding of what needs to happen. Next time you run into one of these moments with your boss, here is what I’d like you do. If you want great execution and more clarity, become a documentation pro! We often rely too heavily on our minds to remember details, and research shows our minds are terrible at short-term recall. Try to see quick documentation as the gold standard that keeps tasks and instructions from falling through the cracks. But I sense that many people feel documenting is too “formal,” or that it might be a little overbearing to demand it of others or demand it of an interaction. Given our current technologies, it’s never been easier to document something on the fly, in the moment. So, I suggest turning “on the fly” discussions into catalysts for something more solid, rather than let them remain isolated conversations on some topic. As you said, they often come up rapidly or in response to other situations. I’m not sure you’ll be able to prevent these situations from happening. Short of writing down every word, how do you communicate with a boss who repeatedly gives input or instruction “on the fly,” but then later cannot recall what he approved or instructed? Often this input comes up rapidly or in response to other issues. ![]()
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