Tips for How To Manage Your Boss
Question: What is the secret to how to manage your boss?
Answer: Become a mind reader!
Well, you may not have the capability to become a mind reader (yet), but there are certain practices that are true for all situations for how to manage your boss. I recommend these successful employee actions that can improve your relationship with your biggest customer – Your Boss!
#1: Keep Your Manager Informed
• Progress on projects – give regular updates to manage your boss.
• Assignment completion – tell your manager when you finish and ask for feedback.
• Anticipate problems – if you anticipate a delay, inform your manager. Confronting a problem while it is still small gives you a good chance of preventing it from escalating. Don’t cover up a mistake – it’s more difficult to explain why you hid the mistake than why you made it.
#2: Turn Complaints Into Proposals
• Don’t just communicate the nature of a problem when you are talking with your manager.
o Be prepared to offer a potential solution, even if it isn’t a final one. Since managers have their own responsibilities they appreciate initiative and problem-solving skills in their employees.
o Don’t waste your manager’s time with complaints about a situation. Project a ‘can-do’ attitude. Even if you are discussing a particularly difficult issue, act professionally. Hold your temper and present the facts in as objectively as possible.
#3: Praise Upwards
Like everyone else, managers need to know that they’re doing a good job. How you do it is the key. Keep your feedback focused, specific and sincere. This demonstrates that you can communicate clearly and that you are self-assured.
#4: Work On Better Communication
Remember it’s your job to let your manager know how you spend your workday. Make this easier by preparing a quick weekly report that highlights what projects you worked on any questions you may have and what other assignment may be of interest.
Perhaps the most important thing to take away from this guidance is that changing your working relationship with your manager is possible. You succeed when you help your manager succeed. By helping him/her achieve goals, you are more likely to advance yourself as well. However, you must realize that this is a slow process and miraculous changes are not going to happen overnight. Just remember, take it slowly and practice consistency, and one day soon you will be ‘managing – up’ like a pro.
For more information on how to manage your boss, check Yael Zofi’s book, TOPS Managing Up.
