6 steps to dealing with a forgetful boss

6 steps to dealing with a forgetful bossEvery job has a secret component that never appears on a job description or annual review managing your relationship with your boss. Unless youre at the very top of your companys food chain, you have a manager who works above and with you to make sure youre doing what you need to do. But although this is a highly professional relationship, its also a human one, with your personality and your bosss in play. If you have a boss who tends to forget things, or has a short attention span, the work day can feel a bit like Groundhog Day as you explain and re-explain thingsbut it doesnt have to be that way. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Lets go over some strategies you can use to make sure your boss has all the info she needs, while helping you keep your sanity.1. Put it in writingWhen you come out of a meeting, or discuss something with your boss, follow up with leides soon after. That way, you have a re cord of what you talked about, what next steps were, what everyones responsibilities will be, etc. When your boss comes to you later to ask about topic X, youll be able to say, Oh, I have the notes on that from last week. I can resend. Then its just a quick email forward, and not a rehash discussion of things youd already covered.2. Be proactiveDont wait for your boss to come to you with a request like, Can you update me on X? or Im blanking on what you were going to do next for Y. Sending short, regular status updates on various projects can help keep your boss in the loop (preventing queries and you having to stop and explain things), and jog his memory about what youre doing, and when.3. Target your informationIf youre dealing with a bosss short attention span (or busy-ness, or distraction) keep your discussions focused. If you have a status meeting where you update on a number of projects, send an agenda with the most important items highlighted, so that you can keep the discuss ion focused on specific points. Instead of having large meetings on a range of topics, consider having shorter meetings, each on a separate and targeted topic. Staying on-topic can prevent attention and discussions from wandering too far from the subject at hand.4. Use email more efficientlyNothing gets lost in an inbox faster than an email subject line of Hey, quick question or Meeting to discuss. The ease and portability of email often makes for casual writing, but whether youre sending an email from your desk or on the fly from your phone, take the time to make the subject line as specific as possible. That makes it more findable in your bosss inbox, and may help head off follow-up questions that have already been answered.5. Tailor to your bosss personalityThink about what the core issue is here. Is he forgetful because hes in constant meetings, and just doesnt have time to process information? Does she do better with visual presentations than with long-winded discussions? Its l ike how teachers adapt their classrooms to how students learn. If you consider why your boss is forgetful or isnt paying attention, it can help you figure out how to attack the issue. It doesnt mean your boss is doing a schwimmbad jobjust that her style may be different from your own.6. Turn to technologyIf you dont feel comfortable setting reminders for your boss, there are ways to let tech do that for you. Productivity apps like Asana or Evernote can help you manage your own workload and projects, but they also have built-in tools like the ability to assign tasks to other people, send email reminders, etc. It can be a gentle way to remind your boss that he needs to send you the information you need, or sign off on something before you can proceed. Bonus itll keep you more organized tooIf you have a manager whose style can seem absent-minded at times, dont despair. You cant necessarily change your boss or his style, but you can work on the way you manage up to help maintain your ow n productivity and peace of mind.