Getting along with your boss
Every person will, at some point in their life, be managed by someone or report to someone, fondly, or maybe not so fondly known as the boss.
The National Day of the Boss was celebrated on the 16 October, and what better day to reflect on the relationship you have with your boss.
Gayleen Baxter, chief operating officer of talent management organisation, says how you get on with your boss is vital.
Baxter goes on to explain that an employees most important relationship in the workplace should be with their boss.
So what is the first step, should you butter your boss up on Bosses Day, should you shower him or her with fancy gifts and endless compliments with a view to creating a new rapport,
Certainly not. Baxter offers the following tips to go about building an effective relationship with your boss, not only on Bosses Day but, every day.
1. Change your attitude and actions.
Often the solution is as simple as making a conscious decision to be more positive, tolerant or kind.
However, do not try and change your boss, your boss is unlikely to change, especially if he or she has held a managerial position for a number of years.
Instead, focus on trying to understand your boss, how he or she manages and what he or she expects from his or her employees.
From there align your working style and attitude to their expectations.
2. Keep your word.
Be a man or woman of integrity, if you say you will do something, do it. Keep to given deadlines and always keep your manager informed in terms of the projects you are working on and your daily interactions with others.
Trust is a vital element in any relationship, dont underestimate the power it has in your relationship with your boss.
Never lie or cover up, instead admit mistakes and offer solutions, this will hold you in greater stead for the future as your boss will always know that they can trust you.
3. Ask your boss for feedback.
Communication is key to building an effective relationship.
If you do not have regular Key Performance Indicators, KPIs set up, suggest that you meet on a weekly basis to catch up and to gather feedback.
Remember, the key to getting feedback is giving feedback.
Your boss cannot give you feedback on something they dont know about, therefore you will need to always ensure that they are 100 percent informed.
4. Value the knowledge of your boss.
Years of experience, extensive knowledge of the industry, effective work and valuable contributions to the organization, these are all things that upper management could have identified when promoting your boss to the position they hold today.
As a result he or she is likely to possess a large amount of knowledge that could potentially be imparted to you, you just have to be a willing participant in the exchange. Use your proximity to your boss to learn as much as you can from him or her.
5. Always be politically correct.
Never bad mouth your boss, even if you, and the rest of the organisation, silently think he or she is a tyrant.
By not saying anything and remaining completely neutral you will send a clear unspoken message that you are kind, loyal and trustworthy.
Baxters says that to build an effective relationship with your boss does not happen overnight.
In fact, it may take a few weeks, even months to get the relationship to the optimum level.
However, once a solid foundation of communication and trust is laid, a valuable relationship will be built, a relationship, which will hold you, and your career, in good stead for the future. Taken from the Star.
The National Day of the Boss was celebrated on the 16 October, and what better day to reflect on the relationship you have with your boss.
Gayleen Baxter, chief operating officer of talent management organisation, says how you get on with your boss is vital.
Baxter goes on to explain that an employees most important relationship in the workplace should be with their boss.
So what is the first step, should you butter your boss up on Bosses Day, should you shower him or her with fancy gifts and endless compliments with a view to creating a new rapport,
Certainly not. Baxter offers the following tips to go about building an effective relationship with your boss, not only on Bosses Day but, every day.
1. Change your attitude and actions.
Often the solution is as simple as making a conscious decision to be more positive, tolerant or kind.
However, do not try and change your boss, your boss is unlikely to change, especially if he or she has held a managerial position for a number of years.
Instead, focus on trying to understand your boss, how he or she manages and what he or she expects from his or her employees.
From there align your working style and attitude to their expectations.
2. Keep your word.
Be a man or woman of integrity, if you say you will do something, do it. Keep to given deadlines and always keep your manager informed in terms of the projects you are working on and your daily interactions with others.
Trust is a vital element in any relationship, dont underestimate the power it has in your relationship with your boss.
Never lie or cover up, instead admit mistakes and offer solutions, this will hold you in greater stead for the future as your boss will always know that they can trust you.
3. Ask your boss for feedback.
Communication is key to building an effective relationship.
If you do not have regular Key Performance Indicators, KPIs set up, suggest that you meet on a weekly basis to catch up and to gather feedback.
Remember, the key to getting feedback is giving feedback.
Your boss cannot give you feedback on something they dont know about, therefore you will need to always ensure that they are 100 percent informed.
4. Value the knowledge of your boss.
Years of experience, extensive knowledge of the industry, effective work and valuable contributions to the organization, these are all things that upper management could have identified when promoting your boss to the position they hold today.
As a result he or she is likely to possess a large amount of knowledge that could potentially be imparted to you, you just have to be a willing participant in the exchange. Use your proximity to your boss to learn as much as you can from him or her.
5. Always be politically correct.
Never bad mouth your boss, even if you, and the rest of the organisation, silently think he or she is a tyrant.
By not saying anything and remaining completely neutral you will send a clear unspoken message that you are kind, loyal and trustworthy.
Baxters says that to build an effective relationship with your boss does not happen overnight.
In fact, it may take a few weeks, even months to get the relationship to the optimum level.
However, once a solid foundation of communication and trust is laid, a valuable relationship will be built, a relationship, which will hold you, and your career, in good stead for the future. Taken from the Star.