How to Manage Your Boss
Many of us in the workplace today have become so accustomed to being "managed" in someway or another that we never think to turn the tables for our own benefit. We get caught up with deadlines and details and often lose sight of the fact that the employee /manager relationship can be a fruitful partnership. By simply recognizing that the boss holds the key to our success, we can begin to take those steps necessary to ensure success for both ourselves and our boss. To cultivate the most productive partnership, we need to continually assess and commit to the following with great precision and exceptional skill:
- 1. Understand self: what and who inspires you?
- 2. Understand your boss: both their needs and pet peeves!
- 3. Position yourself with the skills and qualities to win in any situation.
Understand Self
Ask yourself these questions. What makes you tick? Why do you do the things you do? What motivates you and what derails your enthusiasm? The answer to these and others will help to define who you are and why you do what you do. In most employee/manager conflicts, it is differences in work styles and values that cause a relationship to derail. One individual may pay considerable attention to quality and detail while another focuses on the big picture or the bottom line. Fortunately, it is possible to learn how to observe and predict these differences and adapt one's style to complement that of the other person.
Understand Your Boss
Get to know your boss better. Pay careful attention to his/her needs as well as pet peeves. An employee can easily spoil a relationship with a boss by not paying attention to the "intangibles". Intangibles are those hard to define, unspoken rules that your boss lives by. Without even knowing it, these unwritten rules can and do have an effect on how you are perceived in the "eyes" of your boss. Think for a moment, is your boss people oriented or task oriented? Is his/her management style "go by the book" or is she "accommodating" to each employee's individual needs? Does she admire a "take charge" type of person or does that style intimate her? Does he tolerate complaining or will he perceive the employee as a "high maintenance" employee? By taking the time to get to know the boss better you can position yourself with the skills and qualities that are necessary to be successful in any situation.
Positioning
One of the most basic needs of any boss is the ability to rely on his/her employees. Whether they are expecting you to follow through with a given task or prove that you are committed to them and the job for the long-haul, a boss needs to know that you hold the same values and behaviors as they do. If your boss sees you as someone who behaves professionally (within their presence and more importantly when they are not around) you will gain respect and credibility that transcends job descriptions and performance appraisals.
Understanding and positioning yourself with the key values and behaviors that are important to your boss will pay great dividends in the future. Look for unmet needs:
- t If you have outstanding organizational skills that your boss admires, introduce a new system where you both have easy access to relevant information.
- t Pay attention to his writing style and model it. If he writes in short, concise sentences, adapt your style to be clear and concise.
- t If he or she is punctual to meetings; show up early.
- t Identify solutions, rather than constantly complaining about problems to the boss that has a lot on his/her plate and a low tolerance for complainers.
- t Pick appropriate times to discuss issues with the boss whose time is at a premium. Explain the problem concisely, list ideas for solutions and identify any areas you need help in.
- t Don't underestimate the boss's emotional needs. Everyone needs to hear "job well done" --even bosses! Give positive feedback when he or she is going through a difficult time or completed a challenging project.
- t Look for opportunities where you can use your strengths to make your boss' job less stressful. If you are a natural "people person" volunteer to host and plan the Holiday Party. If you enjoy research, volunteer to gather facts for an upcoming speech they are preparing for.
Knowing when and how to position yourself with the skills and qualities that the boss admires is probably one of the most important critical success factors in today's work environment. Take time to discover what your boss needs, what their work style is and more importantly what they value as their pet peeves! You will then become the trusted "insider".
Copyright protected worldwide. Kathy Drahosz, The Training Connection, Inc.
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