It seems that women may not be “opting out” as much as they are being laid off.  According to a Congressional report issued on Tuesday, women have become as vulnerable as men are to losing their jobs during economic downturns.  Not exactly the kind of news for either men or women to celebrate since a typical family relies on the wife for more than one third of its income.

While we can’t control what happens on a macro level (although we can certainly pay attention to policies those running for office propose  and vote accordingly), we can help ourselves even in a difficult economy.

Lois offered some great advice last month; I’d like to expand on some of her points and disagree with another:

1. Lois suggested that you make it easy for your boss to give you feedback by asking regularly for it.   I concur. I also suggest that you solicit “hallway” feedback - don’t wait for a formal one-on-one.  Ask your boss what he/she thinks you can do more of or less of after a meeting where you’ve presented or after you’ve delivered a report.  That way, not only will the data be timely, it will be easier for your boss to put in context.
2. Absolutely, don’t argue with the feedback you receive.  But do ask for specificity - you can’t act on feedback that is vague.  You might say, “I appreciate the comments you made about the presentation being too long.  What do you think I could have omitted?” (Remember to be deliberate and careful about your tone of voice and body language. These should both reflect a desire to learn.)
3. Do learn the boss’s primary objectives and develop your own goals around those.  Then, go one step further and share your goals with your boss to be sure that your goals are on target.  You may even want to agree to periodically scheduled “checkpoints” so that as things change, you can make the adjustments as needed.

I have a different perspective on another of Lois’s points, though. She wrote:

Never try to change the boss.  It’s not your job.  You can (and should) ask for what you need to be effective (more time together, more feedback, etc.) but whether or not you get it is entirely up to the boss. 

I think this is an opportunity to negotiate - some bosses are very “coachable”.  If you ask for feedback and make it easy for the boss to give it to you and still don’t get it,  you can (and should) ask why.  If you don’t get an answer that rings true, it may be that your boss just “isn’t that into you” and that you should pursue your other options.

TAGS: adding value, bosses, managing up, managing your career, surviving downsizing