Improve your relationship with your boss

We all want to be valued — and be viewed as valuable — at work. Whether you have a new manager or have worked with your current boss for years, what can you do to make sure your boss appreciates what you bring to the job? A good professional relationship with your boss is important for your career success and your job satisfaction.

1. Expectations and Priorities – One way to build a strong relationship with your boss is to ensure that both of you are on the same page. It is important to have clear discussions and clarify areas that you are unsure about. Learn what items are on your boss’ topmost agenda. Discuss and share your goals and what major items are on your plate so that your boss is aware.

2. Meet Deadlines and Commitments – Deadlines are a necessary part of work, they help in proper planning. Deadlines help in aiding the smooth flow of work and lead us to perform tasks faster. Failure to meet deadlines especially chronic failure can lead to disastrous consequences. Become known as an employee who regularly meets deadlines and you will be in your boss’ good books.

3. Keep your Boss updated – Bosses like employees who are highly responsive. Different bosses have different definitions about what being responsive means to them. Some bosses are comfortable with a weekly update, others prefer a daily update whereas others might even require an hourly update or every few hours. If you are not able to provide updates as earlier envisioned, let your boss know in advance.

4. Attention to detail – Endeavor to pay great attention to details for any activity you are working on. Be known as someone who takes time to plan, then properly execute and review work after it has been completed. Over time your boss will come to trust on your reliability thus strengthening your working relationship.

Ways of paying attention to details include: preparing a to-do list; prioritizing your work; following instructions well; proofreading your work; ensuring proper formatting of documents and observing body language and responding appropriately.

5. Be a Team Player – A strong team player is able to forge relationships with colleagues within their department and in other departments. Bosses get pleased when they receive good reports from others about their direct reports.

Skills to become a valuable team player include being organized; understand different working styles of colleagues; ability to communicate well to different people; sharing relevant information; collaboration; cooperativeness; trust; listening attentively, respecting others and ability to make decisions.

6. Good Attitude – What kind of attitude do you have at work? Your internal attitude affects the spirit in which you perform your work and how you interact with others. Be especially careful about the attitude that you project when interacting with your boss.

Ways to develop a good attitude include being kind to yourself and others; smiling; admitting your mistakes and learn from them; accepting compliments graciously; praising others genuinely; complaining tactfully; identifying the good things that are happening in your life and being grateful; using positive and uplifting words.

7. Treat your boss with respect – Speak respectfully to not only your boss but also your colleagues and other stakeholders. Respect your boss’s time and avoid unnecessary interruptions. A healthy dosage of respect at work fuels the interplay between your independence as a professional and cherishing your interdependence with your boss where you both need and rely on each other for success at work. 

8. Avoid Gossiping – Don’t gossip about your boss or other employees. Closely related to gossiping is negativity, avoid negativity and steer clear from office drama. Be loyal to your boss.

You can avoid getting caught up in gossip by not commenting; excusing yourself; changing the subject; staying busy; commenting only on the good in others and avoiding gossipers whenever possible.

Unless you accept anyone to be your boss, no man can be your boss! Mehmet Murat ildan