Episode 97 | Please Bore Someone Else with Your...Questions

Question

Hey Work Wives! This is Sydney from Philly. So I want to know how to deal with a blunt boss. So I started a job four months ago, which I really like. It's a small business with one owner who I like, but she's super busy and I do taxes. So her communication style can be blunt and short to say the least. And she's extremely busy and I respect that, but I'm not sure how to communicate with her effectively.

So here's a silly example. She'll ask me why I bought four oranges. And I reply in detail why I bought four oranges and why I believe that's correct, and I'll ask for her feedback. And she'll respond with something like, "Well, as long as there's four oranges, that's all I need to know." I'm thinking like, "Uh..." So any tips you have on how to communicate with her effectively are welcome. Thanks.

Summary

Here’s just the TL;DR on executive communication (because that’s all that higher-ups care about): answer the question quickly, concisely, and with only as much context as they asked for.

Hint: it’s giving Miranda Priestly.

Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

Record your question and email us the recording. Include your name, your city if you want, and whatever context might be helpful for us to know. And don’t forget to start with “Hey, Work Wives!”