Managing Your Boss
Your boss picked you; you did not pick your boss. Your manager is the second most important person in your career (right behind you) so it makes good sense to find out what you need to do to keep this person happy.
There are a few basic guidelines for building an effective partnership with your boss, one that is productive and offers you the maximum opportunity to achieve success in your job.
The first critical piece of information you need to know is how your boss wants you to communicate with her. If you have a meeting with her on your first or second day and get a chance to ask questions, ask these three questions:
What is the best way to communicate with you - send email, call, or wait for a staff meeting?
When I have a question or a bit of news, should I set up an appointment to meet with you or is it OK to pop in to your office or stop you in the hallway?
How much information do you like to get about a subject? Do you want a brief verbal summary, a short written report, or a formal, detailed report?
Your job is to make your boss look good. This does not mean that you become a “yes woman” or a sycophant with no ideas of your own. It does mean that you find ways to make your team or department successful that does not challenge your manager’s authority or self-esteem.
Successful boss management really boils down to these things:
Figure out your boss’s biggest problems and solve them.
Never go to your boss to present a problem without also presenting a solution.
Always refer to “we,” when talking about yourself and your boss; this creates a sense of unity and shared purpose.
Anticipate what your boss needs and give it to her.
Learn what ticks the boss off and don’t.
Be loyal to your boss and your department and committed to its success. Do not continue debating a decision once it is made and never do it outside your department.
Become an expert in some critical area and share what you learn with your boss.
Stay within your authority; don’t speak for the boss unless the boss tells you to.
Don’t go over bosses head.
