How to Read Your Boss

Think about the conversations you have had in your workplace over the past few months. Do you come out of business meetings wishing you had said something differently, or felt misunderstood? Do you have difficulty talking to people more senior than you? What about when talking with other colleagues? ‘How to read your boss’ introduces you to the world of business communication through linguistics. The course presents a set of ‘linguistic toolkits’ which you can use to create a linguistic profile of yourself and others, including your boss. It is designed for you to assess the effectiveness of the communication styles you use and identify the type of communications culture where you work. It will offer alternative strategies for future business talk. It aims to encourage you to become more reflexive and self-conscious language users when communicating at work. How to Read Your Boss is the second in a series of ‘How to read…’ courses which will be presented by applied linguists, discourse analysts and literary critics at The University of Nottingham. How to Read Your Boss will be useful for anyone working within businesses/organisations in the public, private or third sector, including managers and those with leadership responsibility.

• Louise Mullany