I’ve been really really good (or at least, trying to get better) at proactivity and constructive conversation. Really. I rant here, but in the real world I’m professional. Hence the ranting incognito.
But my boss, not so much. Since we’ve had some conversations about his emotion (yelling at me when there’s a problem) and our communication “challenges” (every avenue we’ve mutually agreed upon he soon abandons without word, and then says “well, if you’d only done X”, X being a wholly new communication strategy that must be clairvoyantly understood on my part), he’s taken this tactic: 1) asks for my help/advice on some project I tangentially know about, 2) hears my answer and does not agree with it but 3) says only “ok, thanks” and leaves.
That’s it. No questions about why his knowledge of the problem is different than mine, no suggestions of another solution. Just hears what he thinks is wrong and takes off. Suffice to say that I think I’m right. A lot. But I’m willing to ask why an answer isn’t what I expected and learn from it. Amazing.
Talk about communication dynamos. Sheesh. If I get halfway through the alphabet before the year ends, … I’ll make some ultimatum. Oh yeah. Strong words from rhapsody. I’m prepared to write more words! Worrrrrrds!!
