Bossology: the eight techniques you need to manage your boss
Internal company investigations consistently reveal that most employees quit or leave because of a bad relationship with their immediate supervisor. In other words, people don’t quit their jobs, they quit their bosses. Most new managers and supervisors assume their roles because they have demonstrated technical expertise in their industry or field. Rarely do they start their managerial careers with the experience, training and support they need to manage others effectively.
I’m certainly not alone in working through some memorably bad potholes throughout my career. In fact, it was quite cathartic to describe them all in writing:
Here are some strategies on how to manage your boss well, manage that all-important relationship, and keep your job (or at least get on your feet at the next job):
1. Know your boss’s job preferences and expectations.
Do you like weekly meetings? Written reports? Email or face-to-face meetings? Find out and respect your preferences.
2. Regularly express your intention to help your boss succeed.
Find hundreds of different ways to say, “If you succeed, I succeed.”
3. Tell your boss how you prefer to be handled.
Try using phrases like “I work better if…” or “It really works for me when you…”.
4. Ask your boss for advice on organizational policy.
Before that big meeting with your boss’s colleague, ask him for advice on land mines or hidden agendas.
5. Set limits and stick to them.
Be clear about what you will and will not do. For example, I told the boss who took the phone calls that I knew I wanted him to be productive and that I could use those ten minutes to do the work for him. When he took a phone call, he would politely pick me up, walk out of the meeting, and go back to work. Before long, he broke the habit (at least when he met me).
6. Keep your commitments with your bosses and with others.
No matter how annoying your boss may be, your follow-through and reliability will serve to bolster your reputation in the organization.
7. Never make your boss look bad in front of his colleagues.
Although it can be hard to keep your mouth shut, avoid the temptation to contradict him in front of others, especially peers at your level in the organization (at least if you want to keep your job a little longer). After listening to your boss speak, if one of his colleagues asks you directly, “What do you think?” you may have to demure with a humble, “I’d like to discuss this with my boss to make sure I have the facts correct.” Helping your boss save face is a useful political skill.
8. Don’t gossip with your boss about other employees.
Even if your boss wants to involve you in gossiping about other members of your team, don’t play the game. A surprised, noncommittal “Really? I wouldn’t have guessed that from her” is enough. I’ve also used an “Oh dear, I think she may have said/done the same at some point.”
What I’m suggesting is that you focus on making your working relationship with your boss worthwhile. Someone promoted him to the role of his boss. Whether it’s because they’re highly skilled, married into the business family, or because they were in the right place at the right time, the bottom line is that you’re not the boss, they are. After all, you can always start your own business once you’ve gained the experience you need. It worked for me.
Leave a Reply