Life inevitably brings struggles for each of us and balancing these with our day-to-day work life has the potential to become unmanageable. It might be in your nature to handle things on your own, but sharing your struggles with others can allow for support and understanding as you face life’s challenges. Whether your struggle involves work or not, when it starts affecting your job performance, sharing them with your boss can be helpful. Here are some tips on how to have this conversation.

 Schedule a separate, one-on-one meeting.

Make the effort to schedule a separate meeting that is dedicated to this conversation. Even if you have a regular one-on-one check-in with your boss, it might be beneficial to set up a time with no other distractions and time restraints. This way the entire meeting is set aside for you to address concerns and come up with an action plan. 

Be clear and concise with how and why you’re struggling. 

While your boss might be the nicest person in the world, it is still important to keep appropriate work and personal boundaries. You don’t have to give your boss every single detail about what’s going on. Decide what’s important enough to help them understand why you’re struggling. If it helps, you might want to write down some talking points to help you stay on track and get out what you need to say. 

Come with solutions you think might help.

Spend some time thinking about possible solutions that could help you better do your job or that will get you back to being able to do your job well. Do you need to take a leave of absence? Is there a project or a client that would be helpful to pass on to a coworker? Do you need more opportunities to work from home? Or do you simply just need your boss to be aware and understanding of what’s going on? This will help keep the conversation future and solution-focused and might even help you see a way out of your current circumstances.

No one should have to struggle alone and sharing your challenges with your boss and coworkers creates an opportunity for building trust on your team while allowing you to bounce back. If you’re looking for a friendly and supportive work environment, Viking Client Services is always looking for quality team members. Check out our current openings and apply today.