Jewish Information Technology: [itroundtable] Fwd: Management Tip of the Day: 3 Tips for Making Small Talk with the Big Boss

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

[itroundtable] Fwd: Management Tip of the Day: 3 Tips for Making Small Talk with the Big Boss

Peter Lutz
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From: "Harvard Business Review" <noreply@email.hbr.org>
Date: May 26, 2010 4:06 AM
Subject: Management Tip of the Day: 3 Tips for Making Small Talk with the Big Boss
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MAY 26, 2010

3 Tips for Making Small Talk
with the Big Boss

Having the chance to talk with someone high up in your organization can be a great opportunity to share your ideas and gain exposure. But it can also be nerve wracking — what if you say the wrong thing? Here are three tips for preparing for your next chat with a head honcho:

Do your homework. Find out what the senior team's priorities are. Work out a few key points about your projects or career as they relate to what senior leaders care about now.

Be brief. Once in front of the senior leader, make your key points succinctly.

Read the situation. If the senior leader is not interested, thank her for her time and move on. How you behave is more important than what you say. Yammering on signals a lack of self-awareness.

Today's Management Tip was adapted from "Tips for Making Small Talk With Bigwigs" by John Baldoni.

Read the full blog post and join the discussion »

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Managing Your Boss

Classic Harvard Business Review Article

Managers shouldn't shower supervisors with flattery; rather, they should understand that the manager-boss relationship is one of mutual dependence. Bosses need cooperation, reliability, and honesty. Managers rely on bosses for making connections, for setting priorities, and for obtaining resources. It only makes sense to work at making the relationship operate as smoothly as possible.

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