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That’s when the fun began.
Marco came to our joint team meeting, engaged in some
get-to-know-you conversation, said he understood where we were going, and
participated in some fun activities with us.
James met Sara and me in his office – (based on his schedule
blocked out in 15-minute chunks.) He grilled us for about 10 minutes and asked
us for documentation, detailed project plans, and a weekly update.
OK. Two different bosses, two different styles. 
Marco might show up any time, kibitz for a while, ask what
we needed from him, and look for ways to smooth the way. He wanted a one-page report;
a few bullet points, and lots of white space. When we met with him, he wanted
us to come to the point quickly. He often organized social events for our two
teams.
James was only available at the appointed weekly meeting,
although if you could find a blank 15 minutes you could have a quick
“emergency” session. Reports needed to be very detailed, with references,
graphs, charts, and hard data. He often said something like, “In the footnote
on page 34 you said X. How does that jive with what you show on the graph on
page A-7?
After every meeting, Sara and I would compare notes and
share our frustrations. We realized we had to adapt to Marco and James quickly
in different ways. We evolved 4 strategies to first cope with and then succeed
with their different expectations.
Identify all bosses’ work and communication styles and flex
your own. Each week we prepared two reports; one high level, one detailed. In
the review meetings with Marco we hit the high points and got out. We patiently
explained every point in detail and double checked any work for inaccuracies
and inconsistencies for James.
Proactively develop plans, schedules, and expectations in
advance and get their approval. Once we had concrete plans, James was
comfortable going through the detailed results and confirming next steps. Marco
saw the plans and schedules as a way for us to be fast and focused as we
reported highlights.
Invite discussion not challenges with aligned assertive
communication. Sara and I learned to think through ways of presenting
information that did not set off confrontation inadvertently. We used inclusive
language, aligned with their situations, and phrased questions that stimulated
dialogue. The tension dissipated from the discussions.
Use problem solving to resolve conflict when it arises. When
Marco or James had strong different opinions on our results or recommendations,
we invited them (tactfully) to engage in some problem solving with us. At the
very least, we got them to restate the problem clearly and concisely so we
could work on solutions off line.
None of this was easy and it won’t be for you either. No
matter where you sit in the hierarchy, when you have more than one boss, you
must be both flexible and firm. Flex to match your bosses’ individual
communication and work styles. Be firm in working out a plan to accommodate all
their needs and get agreement. Be firm in showing places where overlapping
demands make success unlikely and helping them recognize consequences. Be
flexible in working out solutions.
Always scan the environment to assess what you are learning
from working with multiple bosses. Both James and Marco taught me many positive
lessons I’ve applied successfully in other assignments. Once I let the
frustration recede and recognized each person’s strengths and focused on them,
I was open to learning and growth...my results got better too.
Whether you’re an admin or manager, individual contributor
or team leader, managing multiple bosses is a learnable skill your need in
today’s workplace. Join me for a webinar August 12 Working with Multiple Bosses – Successfully and I’ll
share my battle-tested techniques for managing
not just your bosses, but your own time as well.P.S. Special bonuses for participants including a white paper, Allied Assertive Communication – the Super Success Secret.
(c) Rebecca Staton-Reinstein and Advantage Leadership, Inc.
