No matter how you might try to avoid them, at some point in your career you will need to have difficult conversations with your boss. It might be asking for a raise, delivering bad news or explaining you can't get all of your assignments completed. How you handle these conversations can make the difference between a positive or negative outcome.
Jodi Glickman, a former Goldman Sachs investment banker and founder of Great on the Job LLC, has written a new book, Great on the Job, which delves into how to have an effective communication strategy at work. She provides step-by-step guidelines on handling tricky situations.
"Your success has almost everything to do with your day-to-day interactions," says Glickman.
FINS talked with Glickman about how to communicate with your boss to reinforce the idea that you're an invaluable asset to the team, regardless of what bad news you're conveying. Here are recommendations on how to handle seven typical sticky situations.


When You're Trying to Start a Conversation
Make sure first that the person you're speaking to is ready to listen by asking if they have a few minutes to talk, says Glickman. "Everyone has been on the receiving end of a phone call or a knock at the door where the person doesn't ask you if you have time to speak," says Glickman.
Not only is it rude, she says, but it indicates that you don't value their time as much as you value your own. After you've introduced yourself and briefly indicated the purpose of your call, ask: Do you have a minute to speak? "It's polite and courteous, but it's also a good business decision," she says. "There's nothing worse than if the person you're talking to is saying to themselves 'I don't have time for this conversation.'"


When You're Trying to End a Conversation
Just as important as setting...