How to communicate and connect with your manager while working from home

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With COVID-19 returning to Hong Kong with a vengeance, many companies have revived remote working. While some employers still may be of a mindset that employees must be excited about the working arrangement as they assume their subordinates must be slacking off, many employees in Hong Kong actually missed going to the office every day during the first wave. They missed human interaction the most, and that includes their managers. 

In light of this, we have gathered advice from Glassdoor about how to build a personal and deeper relationship with your boss who might not be good at communicating:

1. Show appreciation. 

Everyone loves to be appreciated, even a boss who may seem self-contained or distant. Try to understand how your manager might be struggling with working from home by thanking them for helping to make the transition easier for you and your team.

2. Update your boss consistently on your projects. 

One of the most accessible and most useful ways to connect is to reach out and share an update on a project that is moving forward and your daily weekly workload. If you don’t have a 1:1 sync meeting on the calendar with your manager, now is the time to place reoccurring syncs on the calendar. 

3. Bring some of your ideas to the table.

Reconnect with your supervisor by offering up an idea for a new project that will enhance your organisation, regardless of your level at the company. 

4. Share good news. 

Lastly, another way to connect with your manager is to share some substantial wins in the workplace. Your boss would likely love some good news if they have only been hearing about the need for cost control amid diminishing revenues and shifts in the organisation.