His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. Nah.
Let’s chat with your boss with an undeniable swagger that gets you places:
1. Do not preface your communication with “weak” language, such as “Perhaps we can consider” and “I feel that maybe”.
2. Know what you want. Come in with a game plan and research completed.
3. Always have an agenda/presentation prepared for meetings. For performance reviews, have a list of “wins” with tangible results prepared.
4. Have an opinion AND a plan. In a world where people are scared to commit to a cause and just think vs. do, you will stand out in a positive way.
5. Do not just state problems. Back them up with solutions.
6. Demonstrate your value with your work and the cool/calm/collected attitude that comes with being a high performer.
7. Practice and fail. There WILL be awkward moments. That’s OK. Know that these “unrecoverable moments” appear way worse to you than to anyone else in the room.
8. Emotional self-discipline is key. Demonstrate your enthusiasm and positivity, even when things aren’t going well.
9. When something isn’t working for you, speak up.
10. Get straight to the point first, and then share your thought process and seek guidance.
