In our Building Career Confidence series, today Lindsay Boccardo, generational consultant and millennial career coach is talking about three communication skills to focus on when working from home. Here’s more from her:

Without that in-person touch, it truly is harder to build trust. There are specific communication skills that make a big difference in this season:

1. Listening. Take a extra few breaths (and minutes) to listen to our teammates and try to understand where they are coming from. Those few extra minutes show that you are supportive and you care. At the same time, meetings are not the time to dump our emotions all over our colleagues.

2. Self-Advocating. This is where true authenticity lies. Not in dumping all of our unprocessed stress, and not the other extreme of being closed off and cold towards our team. This is a chance to let people know what you need. We used to walk into the room and get a feel for how people were doing. We read body language and interpreted tone a lot more in person. So, don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. It’s also very easy to be out of touch with how much you have on your plate, and how much your colleagues have on theirs. You may find yourself reminding your team when your plate is full.

3. Keep meetings short. We all know what it’s like to wander aimlessly on a zoom call. If you don’t know what’s on the agenda and what’s being asked of you during a meeting, it probably shouldn’t be happening. We need agendas and clear expectations right now to keep our attention.

For more from Boccardo, visit her website and Instagram.

Today begins a new Indy Style segment series with Lindsay Boccardo, generational consultant and millennial career coach. It’s called, “Building Career Confidence,” and today Boccardo shares how to talk to your boss. Here’s more from her:

I find a lot of us are unsure of how to use time with our boss effectively. There are a few things that can help you stand out, even if you have something unpleasant you need to talk about.

1. Process your emotions with a safe third party.

2. If you’re upset about how a project was handled, what a co-worker said, or how an email went out, it’s natural to feel fired up and defensive or irritated and want to vent. It’s not helpful to include them in on that process and it doesn’t leave a great impression. Venting is not the same thing as emotionally connecting and being authentic. Venting is a process we sometimes go through when we aren’t ready or willing to find a solution just yet. Your boss will pick up on this, trust me.

3. If you are bringing a concern, make sure to share how that concern effects the bottom line of the business or slows down a process. Make it simple for them to understand why this needs attention.

4. Ask your boss if they’ve ever had to deal with this before and what they’ve done in the past to fix it. This includes them in the process and show them that you respect their experience.

5. Bring a solution to the table to show you’ve already thought about how to handle it.

6. Always always always write up a quick agenda and send it ahead of time. This helps your leader prepare for what you want to cover and will keep you on track to make the most of your time with them.

For more from Boccardo, visit her website.