Transcript Ron Day - Keeping Your Boss Informed 05/23/13

Keeping your Boss Informed
In other words, be careful what
you ask for because sometimes you
get it!
• The Financial Aid Office
25 years ago . . .
The Good Old Days
The Office of Financial
Aid was often able to
operate quietly and rarely
drew campus-wide
attention.
Then . . .
• Student Loan Delinquency Reached $85
Billion in Third Quarter.
• How Successful Are Colleges at
Graduating Low-Income Students?
• The Clery Act
• U. Va. Named Playboy’s ‘Top Party
School’
• Stop dreaming
about killing
your boss.
• Learn to
manage up for
a happier
workplace.
Keeping Your Boss Informed
• No boss likes being blind-sided by
something that one of his or her managers
had wind of in advance.
• No boss wants to be blind-sided by one of
his or her peers about an issue that one of
his or her managers should have already
outlined.
Decision Factors …
• Keep in mind these three things:
▫ Those things I could handle and do on my own
because they were fully within the authority
delegated to me by my position;
▫ Those things I could handle and do on my own
because they were fully within the authority
delegated to me by my position put prudence
required informing my superiors just in case there
were unforeseen ramifications needed some top
cover; and
▫ Those things I could not handle or do on my own
without informing, and often getting the blessing
of, my superiors.
▫ But – how do you use this advice since we are
really talking about an endless series of judgment
calls?
• Four things to consider:
▫
▫
▫
▫
Know your bosses’ style
Communicate
Learn how to use the boss’s time well
Cooperate with others
Understand your Boss
• Not all bosses are the same.
▫ Their personalities differ
▫ Individual needs for information differ
▫ Personal sense of what they should know differs
Do I share all and therefore risk appearing insecure
and always seeking permission? Do I operate as a
lone wolf and hope nothing comes back to haunt
me?
• Fundamentally – it is important to “manage up”
by keeping your boss well informed.
• This requires assessing your boss’s personality,
operating style, and information needs.
• Does your boss want all the details or just the big
picture?
My Boss is a Micro-Manager
• Financial Aid is difficult to Micro-Manage. The
weeds are really weedy.
• Over time, if you understand and respect the
micro-managing tendencies of your boss, you
may be able to earn his/her trust.
• When needing permission – offer your thoughts
on what should be done. You will be seen as a
problem solver and one who demonstrates your
ability to think creatively.
My Boss is a Real Jerk
• If you don’t like your boss – trying to sabotage or
keep him or her uninformed will only in time
hurt you.
• Such behavior also undermines the school’s
structure and performance.
• Do the right thing – even if you don’t like your
boss.
• First things first – and an often ignored point –
change your mindset.
• Accept the fact that you can make your boss
happy and that it is possible.
• You always have a choice, to stay or leave.
Know your Bosses’ Style
• Is your boss an evening person – thus tends to
be grouchy and cannot process information in
the morning?
• Does your boss tend to make impulsive decisions
at a certain time of the day because s/he is
handling something else at that time?
• How does your boss like to be updated and
when?
• Is an email summary enough?
• Do you need to provide a daily report?
• Try to keep your boss happy by understanding
his or her style.
Communicate
• When working with a new boss, ask: “how do
you want me to communicate with you?”.
• Do not assume anything.
• Be honest with your boss – do not hide bad
news.
• Be reliable – always under promise and over
deliver.
Learn How to Use the Boss’s Time Well
• Don’t waste your boss’s time on small matters
• Learn when to involve your boss and when not
to involve him or her.
• Learn when your boss expects to be involved.
• This will be clearer as time goes by. Initially you
may need to ask if you are unclear on something.
Communicate the way the boss wants to
• Some bosses are very hands-on – others may
only talk to you once a week or less often.
• Whatever the style – it is typically up to you to
establish and maintain lines of communication.
• Use emails or stop-by-the-office visits to:
▫ Explain what you are working on now
▫ What you have finished and what are the results
▫ What ways you can help the office
Cooperate With Others
• Learn to cooperate at work early in your work
life and prepare yourself.
• Successful directors work inter department and
intra department
• Don’t whine and complain about working with
____ or ____ department.
• Build your network with your peers on campus
so they can reinforce your communication style
with your boss.
Do great work
• This might seem like painfully obvious advice for
developing a solid relationship with your new
boss – but it bears repeating.
Make your boss look good by –
guess what – just plain
working hard. It’s oldfashioned, but it really works.
Five Pivotal Practices of
Communicating Up
• Train your boss to meet with you regularly, if
he/she is not already inclined to do so.
• Come to every meeting with a detailed agenda
that YOU establish.
• Keep a pulse on your boss’s changing priorities.
• Anticipate problems and offer solutions.
• Always be prepared to give status reports on
your project(s) at anytime.
Best Practices for Communicating
• Annual Report
• Cheat Sheet
• Written summary of campus impact of federal
regulatory or statutory changes
• Staff directory with pictures
• Others?
• Review Organizational Structure of office – to
see if everything is being addressed
appropriately.
• Seek to train where weaknesses are noted.
• Develop on-going training initiatives
• Seek to develop your staff to be future leaders in
the profession
• Don’t lead at all times – and don’t lead in all
things.
• Ensure regulatory updates are absorbed
properly into everyday actions.
• Make sure to disseminate information across the
campus regarding “must knows”
• Offer to provide a “Financial Aid 101” session
through your Continuing Ed Center.
• Work collaboratively with each office that is vital
to compliance functions
• Reach out to your External Affairs individuals
(those who work closely with the Media) and
offer your assistance
• Ron Day – Director of Financial Aid at
Kennesaw State University,
([email protected])