When speaking of networking, perhaps you would instantly
imagine talking to other professionals during conferences and other meetups or
formal events. But did you know that your workplace also offers an excellent
opportunity for networking? Yes, you can expand your network inside your
office, provided that you talk to the right people. As a matter of fact, career
experts even say that if you have never tried to have a chat with your boss,
you are definitely missing out on a huge and significant career opportunity.
Why Do You Need to Talk to Your Boss?
Relationships are key to a successful career, and
communication is a main ingredient in building good relationships. When you
talk to your boss and engage him or her in your plans and ideas, you make them
feel like they are important to the success of the team, and that you value
their opinion. This is a great way to establish trust between you and your
boss.
Tips for Talking with Your Boss
1. It isn’t a good idea to schedule a meeting with your boss
at the beginning or end of the day.
Your boss is always busy in the morning as he or she is trying
to finish the most important tasks for the day, and at the end of the day, your
boss is just like you who can’t wait to leave the office. And so, the best time
to schedule a meeting would be anywhere between before and after lunch.
2. Keep the meeting short (30 minutes is ideal).
Your boss has tons of things to do, so you don’t want to be
the reason he or she will not be able to accomplish work on time. Besides, 30
minutes is enough to have a meaningful and engaging conversation with your
boss.
3. Talk about common interests not related to work.
One effective way of building a good relationship with your
boss is to engage him or her in a conversation about their personal interests.
If you love sports and your boss does too, then this topic should give you a
common ground which you can both talk enthusiastically about.
4. Be more of a listener rather than a speaker.
Being a willing listener is a good trait when you’re trying
to build a good relationship with someone, especially your superiors. By asking
smart questions, you can make your boss feel knowledgeable, smart, and important.
This could then be his or her reason to like you. You may even seek advice from
your boss regarding how you should deal with certain work issues you are
facing.
Networking is about meeting and building connections with
people who may eventually help you out with your career planning, and this is the reason why you should make an
effort to spend time and have good conversations with your boss from time to
time.
