Winning the respect of your peers is one thing. Winning your boss's respect, on the other hand, can pay off immeasurably more. Not only will it make your work life all the more harmonious, but it can also significantly boost your career prospects and put you on the fast track to professional success. Few people are fortunate enough to hit it off with their boss from the very start. If you’re having trouble breaking through that arms’ length distance barrier, here are a few tactics to employ that’ll get you in good with the head honcho.
Cater to your boss’s communication preferences
Some people prefer frequent face-to-face chats. Others are more adept at digesting information and giving direction via interoffice email. Still others prefer phone communication, and in today’s mobile era you may happen upon a boss that employs texting as their preferred method of communication. Before making any assumptions about the best ways to communicate with your boss, make observations and take mental notes to determine which method they respond to more favorably.
Also, figure out what time of day is best to approach them with an inquiry. Timing is everything, and catching your boss at the right hour can have a beneficial impact on their overall estimation of you.
Get an understanding of what is most important to your boss
You can do this through simple observation and deductive reasoning, but there’s also nothing that says you can’t ask them outright. Most bosses will appreciate your willingness to get on the same page with them when it comes to establishing expectations.
Become a communicator of your boss’s directives
What this means is that you should be able, at a moment’s notice, to recap to other employees what your boss’s expectations are with respect to everything from specific projects to broad company direction. By acting as a “megaphone” you’ll be serving the invaluable duty of broadcasting those messages far and wide among your co-workers – ensuring that your boss sees you as a valuable tool to disseminating important information and other mission critical objectives. If you want a shot at becoming the head honcho’s “right hand” there are few ways of doing this better than by being willing to support and communicate their vision.
Make your boss your number one workplace priority
If your boss asks you to take care of something, don’t put it off. Earning their respect lies greatly in your ability to increase your value in their eyes. No better way exists of doing this than to make their job easier by being dependable and prompt. Once you get to know them better, you can begin to anticipate their needs. When you’ve reached the point of providing them with what they need before they’ve even asked, you will have earned their respect… and maybe even a whopping raise.
At Artisan, we’re all about helping you unlock your maximum potential – whether that’s teaching you how to be a better communicator or giving you access to freelance job boards to grow your contacts.
