Developing a Great Relationship with Your Boss

We usually write about how to get interviewed and then get hired for the best job. But this week’s tip is about what to do after that happens. Finding a job is largely a sales process – finding prospects (finding jobs), qualifying those prospects further (interviewing) and closing the sale (getting hired). Good salespeople know the sales process does not end when you close the deal. It continues after that as post-sale customer management. In the career world, this translates into post-hire “boss management”.

When salespeople make a sale, they know if they’re going to get maximum value out of the account in terms of future business with the customer and getting referred to other customers, they need to have a strong post-close relationship. If you can adopt this kind of attitude with managing your boss, you’ll be well equipped to move ahead in your career.

Learn the culture

The first thing you need to do after you get hired is keep your eyes open. If you want to know how things are done around your new office, just look around. Your first few weeks should involve a lot of listening, learning, and just plain watching. Find a trusted co-worker who you can ask questions of about how things work “around here.” Once you understand how things work and what is expected of you, you’ll have a much better time producing it.

Manage Expectations

Salespeople often talk about managing expectations. This is a very important concept to keep in mind when developing the relationship with your boss. If you don’t know what your boss expects of you, you’re on track to a bad relationship with them. Find out what your boss’s short-term and longer term expectations are for you, and confirm it with them by expressing it in your own words. This is the best way to make sure you’re on the same page.

When it comes to operational issues of getting tasks done, it’s always better to under-promise and over-deliver than it is to over-promise and under-deliver. Even if you’re sure you can get Project X done by Wednesday, give yourself some breathing room by telling your boss it will be done Thursday or Friday. If you get it done before Thursday or Friday, your boss will be pleasantly surprised and will think of you as a professional who budgets the time necessary to get work done. However, if you promise Wednesday and get it done Thursday, your boss will think of you as careless, unprofessional, and disrespectful.

Make Your Boss Feel Comfortable

You want your boss to think of you as their kind of person. One way to do this that many people overlook is to adjust your personal style slightly so it’s not incongruent with theirs. If your boss wears suits to work but you wear khakis, he or she may be less likely to think you’re their kind of person. It works the other way around too: if your boss wears khakis to work but you wear a suit, he or she will also think you’re not on the same wavelength.

Get a feel for how your boss likes to interact with people. Does he or she want “just the facts, ma’am” or does your boss prefer to joke around a little? Whatever their preference, if you don’t adopt your style somewhat to theirs, it could cost you. If you don’t, you can still do well in your position, but when a promotion becomes available or it’s time to consider raising your salary, your boss is going to consider whether you’re their kind of person or not.

Anticipate Your Boss’s Needs

Most people know this but it doesn’t hurt to mention it anyway. Bosses don’t like to have to ask for things, and they hate having to ask twice. If they have to ask twice, they see it as a sign of disrespect that you didn’t comply with their first request. On the other hand, if you produce what they want before they ask for it, it will go along way to making them feel respected and valued.

A great way to make a real impression on your boss and the company in general is to take the initiative at all times. Don’t wait to be asked to do something you know you could or should do. This doesn’t mean you should take on other people’s projects or try to show people up. What you can do however, is notice when small tasks need to be done and go ahead and do them. Remember, climbing to the top starts with little things at the bottom. Show your boss that you’re not afraid to work hard and they’ll look to you for success from then on!

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