Chapter 13
IN THIS CHAPTER
Communicating with supervisors and subordinates
Writing strategic messages that benefit relationships
Delivering bad news, good news, inspiration and criticism
Managing teams without authority
Success depends on how you interact with the people you work with. Do you disagree? Consider that your long-range career prospects, in no particular order, probably include:
In fact, you may at times function in all of these capacities at once. In all roles you may often be part of a team. You regularly depend on collaborators, partners and various specialists to help you accomplish your goals. Decision-makers increasingly recognize this fact and look for people skills in their job candidates and consultants. Good communication is the most tangible people skill, and thus an upfront priority for relating to everyone from investors to voters.
This is why a psychological perspective and relationship-building tactics are built into the whole of this book. It’s terrific to own technical skills — if you have them, flaunt them — but it’s how you interact and communicate that most often wins the prizes you want. This chapter shows you how to foster positive relationships and use strategic writing to your advantage in workplace interactions.
This entire book is about business writing, of course, but here I focus on the specific challenges of managing up — communicating with supervisors; managing down — communicating when you are in charge of a team, project, department or business; and managing “around” — interacting with peers, coworkers and collaborators. Because you probably need to practice communicating on all these levels over the course of a day, week or month, look for helpful guidance all throughout this chapter.
As I state in earlier chapters, a thoughtful writing process itself helps clarify your goals, reasoning and options. This benefit is especially relevant to writing difficult messages to bosses and subordinates. Of course, I can’t predict all the challenges ahead of you, so review the examples as demonstrations of how to use the structured planning for your needs, and especially how to write based on insight into other people’s perspectives.
Most great leaders are admired for their powerful communication skills. Not a surprise: How else can you inspire, motivate and persuade? But alas, most of our direct experience is with managers who are not leaders and who fall short on this skill set. Gallup, the premier polling group, reports that two-thirds of American workers identify themselves as “unengaged.” Their yearly report consistently pinpoints poor relationships as the main cause, which often translates as poor manager communication.
A workplace with low morale is an unproductive one. Rampant disengagement generates mistakes, misunderstandings, inefficiencies and high turnover. Why do so many organizations allow this huge inadequacy to persist? It’s complicated, of course, but misplaced values, counterproductive reward policies and lack of training all play a part.
If you manage even one other person, or aspire to rise in the ranks, all the techniques for writing and speaking I cover in earlier chapters give you useful tools. Here I focus is on applying those ideas to some typical management writing challenges.
I do know first-hand that the boss’s lot is not an easy one. The messages can be hard: “No, you don’t get the assignment or promotion or new office you wanted”; “No, the company won’t pay for your MBA”; “Sorry, I can’t let you work at home three days a week”; “The company had a bad first quarter so no conference requests this year”; “Everyone’s taking a three percent pay cut, well, maybe not everyone.” And then there are the routine written performance evaluations and critiques, which are seldom fun.
And those are just messages to subordinates! You must write with great care to your own supervisors and find ways to express your viewpoint when it differs from theirs, even when they don’t want to listen. You must represent “your people” and try to protect them from negative impact from higher-ups.
You’re expected to feed the chain of command’s need for better data or sales figures or donations or productivity so higher-ups can, in many cases, take credit for your team’s accomplishments. You must win support for programs and innovations by writing reports and proposals they will only skim. You are probably required to explain and implement directives you don’t like. And you may have a host of additional audiences to address: management peers, board members, donors, suppliers, regulators and more.
When you head a department or work unit, you are fully responsible for how the group interacts and operates. This carries some ramifications that all too many managers appear to forget. When you’re the boss, you’re the role model; don’t look for any vacations from that. How you treat people and communicate with them is echoed in how they interact with each other. Remember also:
Here’s an important corollary of the foregoing principles: Your responsibility as a manager requires you to control your own feelings and short-sighted reactions. Professional entertainers are never allowed to have a bad day and neither are you. If you want to be respected, letting negative emotions like anger, frustration, pettiness or bad moods rule will always work against you. The boss is key to the whole spirit of our work environment. We need them to be positive, confident, enthusiastic and cheerful so we can feel secure and supported.
Set the stage for yourself by looking at your staff members as individuals. Build a profile for each key person with the tools presented in Chapter 2. Take special account of what motivates each person, their strengths and aspirations, and how they relate to the team. Rather than act on assumptions, ask each person about how they prefer to be communicated with and any considerations they feel important to share. In some firms, new employees are asked to cover this in a written document.
The harder your staff works, the more you accomplish, the better you do your job and the more kudos you gain. What’s not to like? Many ways of motivating people come down to surprisingly basic ideas. But they are so often ignored that it is easy for you to absorb them and stand out. Here are some ideas to guide the content of your messaging:
Let’s try these concepts out first with messages no one likes to write: bad news.
Suppose the head of technology, Hal, has been told that poor company profits for the past quarter mean there will be no raises this year. He’s been given a lot of profit-and-loss (P&L) statistics, but not much else to help explain the situation to his department. He knows that top management came close to cutting staff and will no doubt consider doing so should company performance not soon improve. He must break the news to his ten-person team.
First consideration: Should Hal deliver the news in person or in writing? When the news is bad, or you must criticize, always consider face-to-face interaction first. People often feel it’s cowardly to hide behind a written message in business — and they’re right, just as it’s cowardly to break off a personal relationship with a Snapchat post.
In this case, Hal’s goal is to deliver the unwelcome news and minimize the bad feelings it will naturally produce. He considers his audience and his team members’ probable responses. This mental scan suggests that probably at least one person will respond with quick anger that will infect everyone else and set a bad tone for a conversation. Emotions are communicable! He envisions the whole group dwelling on the injustice of it all, making the situation worse.
Hal’s decision: Communicate the basic message in writing and follow-up face to face, with a short delay that gives everyone time to absorb the news and come to the meeting with relatively open minds.
Try This: Write the message. Before reading the following version of the memo Hal might write, think about how you would write it. How would you generate a positive outlook without sacrificing honesty? Then read this version:
Why it works: Hal takes the “us” perspective throughout — we’re a team and we’re all in this together — but there’s no question about who is in charge. He strategizes his content and writing style to accomplish the goal and uses a matter-of-fact, low-key tone. The message acknowledges that readers will feel unhappy, but doesn’t dwell on it. He makes the likely assumption that people will not much be interested in the P&L statements, so gives that a light reference that he will supply the material if wanted. He spends the most time framing the bad news in a more positive light by:
In such situations, it’s important to create a perspective shift without misleading people or offering false assurances. In many instances, it might seem hard to find a silver lining — but with a little creativity, you may be surprised at how often you do.
Switch “why” to “how” and you automatically set your mind to action mode: figuring out practical ways to address the problem. Hal’s memo did this for his team members by orienting them to see how they could help remedy the company challenge and improve their own prospects. If you aren’t picked for an assignment or job you want, ask yourself “How can I show the boss (or recruiter) that I’m ideally qualified next time?” Then map out a plan.
Today’s readers don’t react well to such tiptoeing. Get the bad news done and then move on to some kind of mitigation, insofar as possible. It must be genuine, or don’t do it at all. For example, if you’re turning down a job candidate who’s jumped through all your hoops, you might end with, “Here is the contact information of someone who I believe might like to know about your skills,” or “We’ll hire a new set of interns in August and would be glad to review your application again at that time.” Such information means infinitely more than, “We had so many great candidates but could only choose one.”
What if you have 1,000 applicants to turn down, or just don’t have anything helpful to say? Then just close simply but firmly. “Thank you for applying. We very much appreciate your interest in our company.”
The CEO overlooked this book’s governing principles — know your audience, know your goal and strategize content within that frame. In announcing layoffs or other news that is calamitous to some, those at the top may forget that these messages have multiple audiences each with their own direct self-interest.
If you fire 500 people, whether in writing or in person, what’s the message to all the colleagues you hope to retain? Your goal for the laid-off folks should be to minimize their distress and hatred of you as a callous employer. Those slated to remain need to know that the company isn’t going under, and there’s good reason to stick with it and soldier on. The general public and media are only a click away, so you’re inevitably delivering the message to them as well. Therefore, you need to demonstrate that the firm is on solid ground, has made a difficult but valid decision and isn’t unfeeling toward those losing their jobs.
Try This: Think the message through. If you’ve been faced with a challenge like this or can imagine one in the future, use this approach: Combine the goal-plus-audience strategy (Chapter 2) with the talking points technique (Chapter 9). Here’s how it might work if you’re responsible for telling those 500 people they’re out of work:
Define your audiences.
Your primary audience is the 500 people you’re laying off. Your secondary audience is the remaining staff and everyone they might share the message with (the board, the media, the public, stockholders, creditors, competitors).
Define your goals.
Inform the 500 people that they are unemployed soon as sympathetically as possible. Reassure the remaining staff that the company is in good shape and that their jobs are currently secure and they will not be adversely affected. Reassure the other audiences and in doing so, avoid any suggestion that the company is unfeeling or vulnerable.
Brainstorm to create talking points.
The talking points for this situation may be:
Once you’ve articulated your audiences and clarified what you need to accomplish, the talking points give you good substance to work with. Here’s one way to use the points:
Why it works: The CEO and Executive Leadership Team take responsibility for the decision, and the CEO delivers the message in his own name. This may seem like a small point, but taking ownership matters to people. What is more annoying than bad news delivered in statements such as, “It was decided that …”?
The tone is low-key and matter of fact, but also somewhat formal, which is befitting the subject matter. The CEO expresses sympathy to an appropriate degree; going overboard with warm feelings would accomplish little and might be taken as hypocritical. The bottom-line reason for the layoffs is clearly stated in a way that doesn’t involve other parts of the company. The primary audience can’t argue with the numbers, and few will be interested in more detail.
Secondary audiences, such as the media and stockholders, may well want to see the financials, however, and the company would be wise to have backup material ready. More detailed information should also be tailored for a set of press releases, announcement on the company website and other channels this company uses to communicate with its full range of stakeholders.
And, know how to reach every audience. Board members may need hand-delivered information packets, different employee groups may prefer social media or email or printed memos, stockholders probably want a letter from the CFO. All too often, organizations unintentionally focus on communicating with a few audiences via their traditional channels and overlook other venues more likely to reach other audience segments. (For a simple way to analyze and categorize your audiences, and cross-match them with the right channels, see Chapter 8.)
Certainly, it’s a whole lot nicer to share good tidings, but you may have found that in fact, positive messages are difficult in their own way. But “thank you,” “good work,” and “congratulations” belong in the good manager’s portfolio, and this writing skill should be exercised often.
Writing is an ideal tool for making this connection. It feels more official and special when you deliver a written compliment rather than a spoken one, which is fleeting, and may not in the moment be well expressed.
Hi Allie, Thanks so much for the slide deck, show went well. —Chuck
But this is short-sighted. If you more deeply consider your main goal — to encourage future good work — you’d probably see the challenge more concretely:
Here’s one way of meeting these goals:
As Allie basks in feeling appreciated, her motivation can only grow. Will she work even harder to earn further praise? Put in extra time as needed? Come up with more creative ideas? Probably. Well-delivered praise is the best available way that you, as a manager, can promote alignment with staff members and assure that future work is outstanding. But it only works when it’s specific and concrete.
It falls to the manager’s lot to coax team members to meet standards and perform better. Many supervisors are uncomfortable with this demand, but it’s essential to the role. The good news is that often you can accomplish your goals with a positive approach.
When I began presenting workshops early in my career, I realized that often when someone gives a speech, or reads an assignment to the group, the prospect of feedback terrifies them. Although group input was always meaningful, at times people were unthinkingly (or thinkingly) cruel in their responses. The result was hurtful rather than helpful.
If you’re reviewing an activity or initiative in a one-on-one meeting, you first might ask, “What did you feel went well with the project?” Or bigger picture, “How would you evaluate yourself (or your experience here) over the past six months?” Follow up with, “What do you think you could have done better?” And perhaps even, “What do you need that would help you do better?”
Considering this, you might write:
You may need a “nudge” memo that is stronger, according to your judgment of the person and situation. Here’s an example:
Gwen, you edited the workplan, but you missed a lot. I would have expected you to ask questions if some of the material was unclear to you. Here’s my own rewrite — let’s discuss.
An important exception to this less-is-more approach is when you need to create a written record of insufficiencies, such as for legal documentation. Then write in excruciating detail. A lawyer or HR person is probably available to give you these guidelines.
The same principles of thoughtful communication apply when you assign work. Routinely see everyday messages as building blocks toward better performance and good relationships. Which request in each of the following memos would you prefer to receive from your boss?
Memo 1:
Jake, here’s the material for the Collins report. Due date Wednesday, no fail! Better, get it on my desk Tuesday for review. Thnx.
Memo 2:
The second message tells Jake why he’s doing the work on short notice and that it’s a contribution to the team. He feels respected and included. Who doesn’t want to feel that way? When I talk about this in workshops, often someone says, “But that’s my assistant’s job! Why do I have to sweet-talk him into doing it?” You don’t. But if you want the work done with enthusiasm and resourcefulness, perhaps with unacknowledged overtime, you need to care how the person feels.
I know a successful young department head who frames every request to staff this way: “Would you do me a favor and ….” “Of course, they have to do it,” she explains, “and they always say ‘sure.’ When I put it like that, it sets a tone that says I appreciate what they contribute. They’re happier to ‘help me’ than if I just said, ‘do this.’ So, I just give all my orders that way.”
We all report to someone, whether a department or division head, a CEO, the governing board or a set of core clients. We need to communicate gracefully with those above us in the hierarchical chain of command. Fortunately, the guidelines are similar. Like so much of successful living, it’s all in the attitude, so that’s where I start.
You don’t need me to tell you that when you write to a superior, every message should be carefully thought out, well written and scrupulously edited. If your boss sends you cryptic, confusing or non-explanatory messages (such as, “No!” or “Not now!”), do not take that as a reason to write abrupt, careless messages yourself.
Don’t overlook that in many cases you can directly ask many of these questions of a supervisor who’s new or new to you. Supplement what you hear with your own observation — or rely on observation should the supervisor not be approachable for such a conversation. And ask for feedback to be sure you’re hitting the mark.
See through the boss’s eyes and you’ll automatically find the right words and persuasive framework. The same process I present in earlier chapters for writing emails, reports and proposals apply when the audience is your manager. When you’re presenting an ask to a superior, consider factors such as:
And don’t overlook some characteristics that I am 98 percent sure your bosses possess by virtue of position. They all feel:
And, of course, they report to bosses of their own, with all the challenges you feel and more: The buck-that-stops-here grows bigger at each level. This set of characteristics dictates the need to be concise, and to be aware of what else may be occupying the boss’s mind and the relative importance of what you want. Will giving you a yes move a priority forward?
Remember that most supervisors quite naturally do not react well to being brought problems — they feel they have plenty already. Especially if you are raising a new problem, try to come up with a solution or some options and include them in the message. You will get a much better reception and present yourself as far more capable.
Most often, with variation based on your profile of your supervisor, your best strategy is to write brief, straightforward emails that stick to one subject. Long detailed emails may be skimmed or not read at all, especially if the subject line and lead don’t get to the point right away. In general, any time you’re addressing a higher-up, such as board members, donors, executives and government regulators, aim to:
Here’s an example of an email that follows these guidelines.
The impact is even worse than displaying them “live” in work situations. Note your choice of words, and in particular, if the cadence is choppy and staccato — the written equivalent of a stiff-legged stalk when you’re angry or offended. If the message carries any negative feeling, put it away for a few hours or overnight as possible and then re-draft. If you can’t turn the tone positive, consider whether you need send the message at all. A conversation might be better — or just determine to move on.
How can you do this when the supervisor (or client or coworker) fails to do their part? Here are some examples of how Matt might handle a delay caused by his boss’s failure to get back to him with information. Which do you believe would work best for accomplishing the immediate goal — receiving information — and the long-range one of building a relationship and positive image for himself?
Version 1:
Marge, didn’t I already ask you five times to review the draft I spent 23 hours writing and give me your input? Remember? I’m at a standstill! If I don’t hear from you by 3:30 tomorrow, I’ll assume you have nothing to say and go ahead on my own. —Matt
Version 2:
Marge — I’m still waiting for your input on the draft I sent Tuesday. This is creating problems. Any chance you can get back to me this week? —Matt
Version 3:
Read aloud, Version 1 sounds accusatory, impatient, whiny and childish. If Marge is Matt’s boss, she will feel attacked and regard him with suspicion henceforth. If he’s a client, Matt may soon be job hunting. If Marge is a coworker, she’ll feel angry and uncooperative.
Version 2 is less offensive but still has a negative intonation — I’d call it passive-aggressive. Marge may do as asked, but won’t feel warmly toward Matt.
Version 3 is courteous and deferential. If you read it aloud, the tone is neutral and feels respectful. It carefully avoids casting blame. This message has the best odds of achieving its goal, to coax Marge to give the draft a few minutes’ attention and also regard Matt as a good assistant.
Version 3 suggests another good strategy: finding a way to let another person, especially a VIP, save face if they err. No one likes to feel chastised, belittled or implicitly criticized by anyone, let alone someone on a lower level. If the boss or a client ignores your plea for a response, or fails to return a phone call or even stands you up for an appointment, how can you handle it?
A person who feels well-disposed is much more likely to help you out or rectify an oversight than one who is put on the defensive.
See this demand for brevity as a compliment: Busy people trust you to decipher what matters, tell them what they need to know and filter out the rest. Here are some techniques to help you do this:
I know what a busy time of year this is, but we’ll really appreciate your input on the Marshall draft this week. Would it be easier to talk about this by phone for a few minutes? I could then make the changes for you. If this would be helpful, just give me a call when convenient.
Most of the guidelines for addressing supervisors and subordinates apply equally to people you work with regularly, or occasionally, and are more or less on your own level. In big and small ways, we constantly need people we have no authority over to cooperate, collaborate, act as resources, respond to questions and give us time and energy. Therefore, practicing all the relationship-building tactics covered in this book helps you build a platform of good will to rely on.
Even when you are comfortable with particular office- or teammates, always remember that the situation is professional. When we write to people we feel are on our wavelength, we tend to write more spontaneous and informal messages. We let down our guard and may become careless.
So, although it’s fine to write in friendly ways and assume mutual understanding, maintain your awareness of the impact a thoughtlessly written message can have. Always avoid saying anything negative about other people, or agreeing with someone else’s negative remark. Have you not been amazed at how often an email reaches readers you didn’t anticipate?
One culprit is the chain email. A friend of mine recently received a thank you for a small charitable donation, atop a series of emails the writer had exchanged with a buddy at the nonprofit they both raised money for. One email referred to the donor as “an old skinflint who could well afford a big donation,” and “I’ll worm it out of her yet.” This didn’t benefit the cause. (For a real challenge, try drafting an apology.)
When communicating with teammates, as well as subordinates and superiors, it is often smart to confirm mutual understanding in an email or other internal communication format. This can save a great deal of hassle later if those involved emerge with a different memory or interpretation of the matter at hand. Make these memos concise and to the point.
For example, to a supervisor:
Take a similar tack when you’re asking a coworker to do something, but frame it more graciously. Such a backup memo might read, “Thanks, Ellen, for working out idea X with me yesterday. I appreciate your input very much. I hope you can take a few minutes to look at this rundown of what we agreed to — correct me if I’ve misstated anything.” Then spell out your reader’s responsibilities, and your own.
When writing (and speaking) to collaborators and coworkers, aim to invariably be respectful, courteous, tactful and appreciative. Frame requests in language such as:
Draw on the power of why: When you ask for help or cooperation, provide the reason:
We need to deliver the proposal by Thursday, so I’m hoping you can help us meet the deadline by …
Consider the reasons why giving you what you want may not produce an automatic yes. Is the other person experiencing their own crunch time? Trying to catch up after a vacation? Fielding multiple requests from many directions in addition to your own? Sometimes acknowledging you understand this helps.
I know how many demands are being made on your time right now, so I will be especially grateful if you can process my invoice soon so we can avoid incurring interest charges.
Mitigating the time and energy you need someone to give you can go even further:
Always, always, we must work with people for whom we don’t feel a natural sympathy or who annoy or offend us in some way. Often this happens if our roles bring us into opposition, rather than because the person is actually “toxic” (in which case the only solution is to minimize contact). Or a generational divide can create misunderstanding and resentment. Here are some ways to reset a relationship to make it neutral, if not friendly. Judge in each case whether writing or face-to-face is called for.
Render a compliment — a sincere one. Find something you can genuinely admire about the other person or how they handled something.
Your presentations are so effective.
I liked how you fielded the CFO’s tough question about X the other day.
I heard from the Y committee that you did a great job on Z.
If the prospect of talking or writing to an “enemy” in these ways sounds unattractive, remind yourself how much you could benefit from a more positive attitude on their part. And that at least some of the bad feelings between you results from the dislike or disrespect you intrinsically project. Enjoy the look of surprise you’ll elicit as the person looks at you in a new light. And the satisfaction you’ll derive from managing your own emotions to gain an advantage.
Offer help without being asked.
That’s a big job they gave you on short notice. Can I give you an hour of my time to help?
This is a good tactic to try with anyone with whom you’d like a closer working relationship, as well as non-friends. The best demonstration of it I’ve seen comes from a new employee in a financial services firm. Gary wasn’t getting the assignments he wanted and felt dead-ended and under-worked. He approached a colleague in the office who’d impressed him, Mark, and said, “I have extra time on my hands right now. Can I help you with anything?”
Mark accepted and the teaming arrangement proved very good for both of them. Gary was so delighted that he sent a well-written letter to the department head detailing what an excellent member of the staff Mark was, how lucky the firm was to have him, and how much Gary had learned from working with Mark. The letter was circulated on higher levels, Mark was thrilled and appreciative, and soon thereafter, Gary was promoted.
Many people today find themselves responsible for a project or team without being officially in charge, or part of a team that is given insufficient direction by those who are supposed to lead it. This challenge used to be categorized as exercising “peer influence,” but in today’s world, it’s called “leadership without authority,” and is an increasingly common challenge.
Many organizations are “flattening” their management structures and depending on teams to accomplish major goals, especially when operating virtually. Managers like the approach because it breaks down operational silos and they know group thinking can generate unorthodox solutions. Employees like it because collaborating is more fun than just carrying out directives from above.
Unfortunately, few businesses train people to work in teams. They expect natural leaders to emerge — but just as likely, an uneven distribution of work and bad feelings evolve. When you’re part of a team without a formal leader, what can you do to steer the team toward its goal, help members work together well and even emerge as the natural leader yourself?
A great deal, by applying the ideas in this book! Scores of other books talk about leadership with and without authority, so I’ll focus on the communication aspect. Which, I’m happy to say, everyone agrees is the key to team success.
First, some of the basic strategies that work well for teaming include:
Now some practical suggestions.
I assume your team kicks off with an in-person or video conference meeting. If one isn’t provided, advocate for it. Seeing each other’s faces and hearing each other’s voices at the outset promotes success, as do periodic follow-up meetings.
At the early sessions, ask questions and listen a lot. Some questions to consider include:
If other people voice the questions, all the better. But prepare yourself in advance with questions that will lead the group to emerge with a common agreed-on project goal, assigned responsibilities, schedule of meetings, deadlines and so on according to the nature of the project.
Taking notes is a hugely underestimated instrument of influence. Your job is to write up what was agreed to, matter-of-factly, concisely and fully, in a neutral just-the-facts tone. But while your summary must be honest, a substantial meeting leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
Use a basic format like for meeting minutes. At the top, list every person who participated in the meeting plus time and place. Then open modestly: For example, “This is what I heard” or “The following describes what we agreed to.”
Then briefly summarize the general interaction as appropriate — what the team is charged with, for example, and what process was used to arrive at decisions. Now you can move into the meat of the event. A good technique is to use the subhead approach explained in Chapter 6. Perhaps:
If you and your colleagues have done a good job addressing these topics during the discussion, the report should be easy to write. When you discover significant gaps in the joint thinking, either:
Fill in the gaps based on your own judgment of how things should be done but clearly state you are doing so.
You might include a blanket statement in the introduction to the document noting that highlighted sections indicate that a conclusion was not explicit, and you have made a logical assumption, subject to group review. For example, you might explain that “In describing our plan for future meetings, I noticed that we didn’t give time to sharing any personal news or problems with our assignments. I’ve jotted that in for consideration.”
End your minutes in an open-minded way:
Please get back to me by Friday with your input and let me know if I’ve overlooked anything. I will make any corrections needed and send the new version to you for review and signature.
Make adjustments as called for by the feedback. I think you will be surprised at how little input is provided. If you receive a change request you don’t agree with, query the group and come to a conclusion. After some give and take, you have in hand a written blueprint for the whole project with agreed-to responsibilities and deadlines. If someone fails to deliver, misses a checkpoint or deadline or behaves counterproductively, there will be no question of what is owed to the team.
Every meeting should be fully reported in this way. Continue being notetaker/reporter and you may well become the de facto team leader.
As I note in the beginning of this book, today’s career paths tend to zig and zag, rather than following a straight line. You may be an employee now, but also tomorrow’s entrepreneur, consultant or freelancer. Or you may become a full- or part-time remote worker. These scenarios bring their own set of communication challenges. The next chapter focuses on the tools and techniques for working well independently.
18.116.64.221