Coming Up in December 👀: Holiday Survival for Busy Leaders
Plus, what to say when your boss isn’t communicating clearly
Want to experience this post as a podcast? You can find the audio at the bottom of this post. This is normally only available to paying subscribers, but today we’ve opened it up to everyone. Enjoy!
Coming Up Next Month: Leading Through the Holiday Season
December is busy. Not only do you have year-end wrap-ups and next-year planning to tackle, but you’re also managing your team’s focus as the holidays approach – and trying to keep your own well-being in check. How do you carve out time for yourself when so many priorities are competing for your attention? And how can you help your team feel supported and balanced during this season?
Stay tuned – this is what we’ll dive into next month! Expect simple, impactful self-care habits designed for you as a leader, plus practical ways to help your team members – whatever their personality – find balance and feel valued.
Watch for a NEW 5-day Holiday Wellness Challenge coming in December!
Want to Submit a Leadership Topic?
Have a specific leadership topic in mind that you’d love to see us cover? We’ve opened up commenting so that anyone can share their idea(s) in the comments. We can’t promise to pick yours, but we do promise to review and consider every single idea.
Managing Up Challenge Check-In
How did you find the five-day Managing Up Challenge? We covered a lot together. Here’s a quick recap:
If you’re reading this, I’ll bet managing up is high on your list of priorities. Yet one major frustration might be standing in your way: a lack of clear communication from your boss.
Ambiguous directives or sparse feedback are common in upper leadership roles and can seriously hamper your ability to execute tasks effectively, often leaving you feeling confused and unsure of your capabilities.
Unclear communication from your boss brings a host of challenges, such as:
Reduced confidence in decision-making
Uncertainty about priorities and how your boss might react to initiatives
Limited insight into your own performance
Missed opportunities for improvement, both for yourself and to better support your boss
All of these factors can lead to frustration and an overreliance on your boss for direction, ultimately limiting your autonomy and your ability to manage up effectively.
Today, we’ll dive deeper into this common challenge. I’ll walk you through five typical scenarios of unclear communication, complete with scripts to use with your boss to clarify each situation – and I’ll explain why each approach works.
Grab a pen and paper digital notebook, and let’s get started!
5 Scripts to Clarify Unclear Communication with Your Boss
1. Vague Project Expectations:
Boss’s Statement: “Just make sure this report is good enough for the client to be happy.”
Your Response: “I’d love to make sure the report aligns with your expectations and meets the client’s needs. Could you share more about the client’s specific goals for this report, or any key points you’d like me to emphasize?”
Why It Works: This response demonstrates a proactive approach to clarifying the task, showing your boss that you’re committed to quality and understand the value of tailoring your work to client goals. It also politely prompts your boss to provide concrete guidance, making it easier to meet expectations.
2. Unclear Prioritization:
Boss’s Statement: “I’m going to need you to handle these projects, but they all need to be done as soon as possible.”
Your Response: “I want to ensure I’m managing my time effectively across these projects. Would you be able to help me prioritize them based on deadlines or impact? This way, I can focus my energy where it’s most needed.”
Why It Works: This response shows respect for your boss’s goals and acknowledges that prioritization will maximize productivity. It positions you as a team player focused on the big picture, which can lead to more effective workload management and make your boss more likely to assist with prioritization in the future.
3. Feedback That’s Too General:
Boss’s Statement: “Your presentations are good, but I’d like you to make them a bit more engaging.”
Your Response: “I appreciate your feedback on my presentations. Could you point out a few areas you think I could improve specifically? I’d love to focus on those to make my presentations more impactful.”
Why It Works: This response expresses gratitude for the feedback while requesting actionable advice, which positions you as open to growth. By asking for specifics, you also make it easier for your boss to give constructive feedback, fostering clearer communication and more targeted improvement.
4. Sudden Change in Direction Without Explanation:
Boss’s Statement: “I want us to shift our focus to the new project starting immediately.”
Your Response: “I noticed we’re redirecting our focus to the new project. I’d love to understand more about the strategic goals behind this change so I can help support the team and align our efforts with the bigger picture.”
Why It Works: This response frames the question positively, expressing genuine interest in the strategic rationale, which shows your boss that you’re not resistant to change but want to understand it better. It also signals that you value alignment and are prepared to contribute effectively.
5. Minimal Feedback on Performance Review:
Boss’s Statement: “You’re doing fine, just keep it up.”
Your Response: “Thank you for the positive feedback! I’m always looking for ways to improve. Could you share any specific areas where I could add more value or improve my approach? That would help me to focus on continuous growth.”
Why It Works: This response acknowledges the positive feedback but opens the door for constructive suggestions, which shows a growth mindset. It subtly encourages your boss to be more specific in the future and frames you as someone who actively seeks to exceed expectations, creating a foundation for ongoing improvement.
Each of these responses clarifies the situation while conveying professionalism, respect, and a commitment to mutual goals, increasing the likelihood of constructive feedback from your boss.
Your Next Steps
Every effort to improve communication brings you closer to a stronger, more productive relationship with your boss – you’ll build more trust and impact than you might realize! I hope this has you thinking about ways to turn any challenging situation with your boss – not just unclear communication – into an opportunity to gently encourage the support you need to excel in your role.
Be sure to follow along with the rest of the managing up series! We’ve yet to explore managing up toward Sentinel and Explorer bosses. And if you feel like you’re in too many meetings or like your boss might be a micromanager, you’ll want to read what’s coming up after that, too!
👂Listen to This Post as a Podcast:
Disclaimer: These podcasts are AI-generated, but they sound impressively human. The software may take it upon itself to expand on some of the ideas presented in the post or add new ones altogether. Today, your podcast hosts dive deeper into advanced communication strategies to use when the initial five scripts fall short. They also explore how to establish healthy communication boundaries with your boss.