Are you in this situation? You and
your boss just don’t seem to connect
and work well together. It isn’t that
you are having knock down fights. It’s
just that you know things could be
better.
You don’t want to look for another
job so you have to figure out how to
make it work. Here are seven guidelines
to help you manage your relationship
with your boss.
1.Know Thy Boss
No two people think alike or work
alike. No two bosses either. Your job is
to find out her specific expectations -
not to reform her, reeducate her or
make her conform to what the management
books recommend. For example: Does she
want a status report every day, once a
week, or when she calls?
2.Don’t Hide
It’s natural to yield to the tendency
to minimize contacts with people we
don’t see eye to eye with. Reducing your
daily contact can cause a further loss
of trust and respect on both sides. And
if a lack of communication can foster
misunderstanding, mistakes and more
problems.
3.Have Perspective
If you resent working under a less
qualified manager, you might perform
below your abilities. Don’t let yourself
fall into that trap. It could be a
career killer. Rather, try to see what
possible good there is if you let go of
your frustration or anger. The boss can
leave, you may get transferred to a more
promising area or you may find that he
or she wasn’t so bad after all.
4.Don’t Bad-Mouth
Handle disagreements with your boss
with particular care. Let him know of
your concerns and suggest other
alternatives or ideas. Support your
manager’s position in public as much as
you can and do you best to make polices
and decisions work, rather than try to
subvert them.
5.Avoid War at All Cost
The painful reality is that the boss
has better access to power and
influence at the top. If you take on
this person, chances are you will lose.
Management could very well stand behind
the incompetent boss to avoid having
its own hiring abilities called into
question.
6. Make the Boss Look Good
Go to him or her and ask: “What do I
do and what do my people do that helps
you do your job? And what do we do that
hampers you and makes life more
difficult for you?”
7.Keep the Boss in the Loop
Make sure she understands the
following: What can be expected of you
and your people; your goals and
objectives; and most important your
specific priorities. Bosses, after all,
are held responsible by their own
bosses for the performance of their
people. They must be able to say: “I
know what Anne (or Joe) is doing.”
Bosses don’t like surprises!
Take Charge and Take Action Now!
Do you know there are three kinds of
people in the career world? Those who
make it happen - those who let it happen
- those who are surprised by what’s
happening. Which one are you?
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"Thank you for helping me deal with my
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to remain with the company, as it
reorganizes again,
or to move on. You’ve done your job...
now my job is to follow through."
--- PhD Engineer,
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