Dear Boss,
I don’t know whether it’s right or wrong to confide in you. Both the options seem to be so relative. I do not want this thing to go official so here I am standing on open space in front of you asking you to understand me.
Working in the metros is very different from working in small towns like Pune. Compared to Delhi, Mumbai, Pune is a small town. My communication style has remained like that in metros. It goes well with juniors who need some degrees of informal behavior to come out and accept someone and open up with their problems work related or ones which might affect work. It is necessary as a senior to understand ones team to essentially bring out the best out of them.
What I am confused is how to communicate with people who are in higher positions and relatively new in this company? I have always come across shocking behavior from my RMs. I’ll give you some examples:
Delhi: My RM introducing me on Christmas party: Here’s _from _ who drinks horlicks and fruit juice, is the star thinker and researcher of the team whose pass time is to write poetries and charm all the good-looking girls on the floor. She’s not spared me either.
Shocking isn’t it? She did not mean to insult me. She went on and on with praises on my puny achievements. There’s more.
Calcutta: My HRM sending me Mumbai for the second time. In a one to one meeting in which she is justifying that I should set sail in a day she tells me:
Don’t I know what you were doing at Mumbai? I know you love Mumbai, I know you want to go back. All the best!
What she meant was, I used to be out pretty late at nights because of a bunch of journalist friends I had at Mumbai. Things always get misinterpreted but I did not mind.
Now the real shocker…
Mumbai: Me to my practice head. Some thing very shocking happened…umm I found some girl’s silver colored underwear and slippers at office. I am sorry I should not be sharing this thing with you but I am really concerned about what happens on the floor.
Practice head: Why don’t you ask your PM…it might belong to him I am sure.
Chennai: Me to my senior: oops I don’t have any leaves left…
My senior: What about maternity leave?
Now this is the environment I came from…I never had to be so very formal. Or may be I was, but my bosses were always master blasters in terms of unconventionality or camaraderie. So I changed and landed up at whatever. My current RM misinterprets most of my actions. I never do it intentionally though I do not know how much he understands. I have tried my best to work things out without effect. Now I am leaving it out to faith and fate. If my 6 monthly review gets screwed up, I am not to blame.
Your’s sincerely
NB. Perhaps I should follow the Jon Postel saying:
“Be conservative in what you send and liberal in what you receive.”
Jon made this comment about the internet but it applies to so many things including business communication. In short I should meticulously follow you, my boss who is a live example for this.
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