Problems at Work? 3 Questions Every Employee Should Ask Their Boss
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Have a problem at work? Get in line. Half of office workers say they’re overworked and 75% say they don’t have access to technology that would help them do their job, according to the Staples Business Advantage Workplace Index. Three-quarters of people say slacker colleagues either make it more difficult to do their work or put the company in jeopardy, according to a VitalSmarts survey. And then there are the minor, yet seemingly endless, workplace irritations, from co-workers who never brew a fresh pot of coffee to the loud talkers who make it difficult to concentrate.
Office irritations both major and minor are a fact of working life, which can make it hard to know when to approach your boss about problems at work. Many employees report not feeling comfortable approaching their manager with questions, a Gallup survey found. More than half of people are too afraid to even ask their boss for a vacation, according to a JetBlue survey, perhaps because they fear looking like they’re not committed to their job. Yet feeling like you can’t talk to your boss can lead to resentment, frustration, disengagement, and workplace conflict.
While few career experts recommend running to your supervisor every time you have a problem, sometimes you really do need to appeal to a higher authority. Before you do so, it helps to be prepared for the conversation. Whether you are looking for help with a co-worker conflict, struggling with an unmanageable workload, or teetering on the edge of burnout, here are three questions you should be prepared to ask your boss when you’re having problems at work.
1. Can we schedule a time to talk?
Putting an appointment on the schedule | iStock.com
Though some bosses might be OK with an informal pop-in, chances are you’ll have a more productive conversation if you have 15 or 30 dedicated minutes for a meeting. Requesting a formal sit-down indicates the issue is important to you. At the same time, it shows your boss you respect her time. Plus, you’re more likely to achieve the results you want when you have her undivided attention. Trying to squeeze in a discussion as she’s on the way out the door for a long weekend will likely end in frustration. Just make sure your boss isn’t in panic mode before the meeting.
“You … don’t want to complain about something trivial — like a co-worker’s behavior — during a time of crisis in the office. Instead, schedule some time with your boss for a one-on-one meeting in private, and make sure it’s still a good time before opening the discussion. This will set the stage for a much more productive conversation,” Jayson Demers, the founder and CEO of AudienceBloom, wrote in an article for Inc. magazine.
2. Here’s my idea. What do you think?
Your boss has a lot to do, and he doesn’t want to spend extra time solving your problems. Before your meeting, brainstorm some solutions to your issue. Your manager may not be receptive to your ideas, but having suggestions ready shows you’re not just expecting him to fix things for you. At the same time, you’re acknowledging his expertise and indicating you’re looking for his input.
“[C]ome to your boss with a problem and a solution already in mind — preferably multiple possible solutions,” Demers wrote. “If you do so, it will show that you’ve thought the problem through and you’re looking at the future, rather than the past or present. Coming with solutions will also increase the likelihood that your boss will take action on your concerns — it gives him/her something to work with.”
3. What can I do differently?
Man asking for help | iStock.com
Take ownership of the problem you’re having, even if you’re convinced you’re not really at fault. Perhaps a lazy or incompetent co-worker makes it difficult for you to meet your deadlines. Or maybe you’re having trouble managing your workload. Or you’re stuck spending hours on menial tasks that aren’t in your job description. Rather than whining to you boss about a colleague’s shortcomings or venting about your extra-long to do list, explain your concerns in a neutral manner, then ask your boss if she has any ideas for how you could change your behavior to fix the problem. She might have some surprising suggestions.
Say you’re overworked. Asking your boss if there are things you should stop or start doing “makes it easy for him to finally tell you that the 10 hours of cold-calling you’re doing every week isn’t leading to results, and you’d be better off building out the focus group strategy instead,” Jodi Glickman, author of Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It: The Secrets of Getting Ahead, told LearnVest.
“What can I do differently?” is also a good question to ask when you’ve hit a wall trying to resolve a problem on your own. “Fill your boss in on the tactics you’ve already tried, but didn’t seem to work … then ask to brainstorm a few more ideas,” career consultant Jennifer Winter wrote in an article for The Muse. “The idea is to make your boss aware of the situation so he or she can help you find a solution.”
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