Success At Work: People Skills : Working With Your Boss

By Author: Stephen Bucaro
Total Articles: 31
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Success at Work: People Skills : Working With Your Boss

By Stephen Bucaro

Most advice about success at Work focuses on becoming a
good leader, but you can't become a good leader until you
first become a good follower. Your boss is the most
important individual to work with to achieve success at
Work. Your boss can provide you with training, assignments,
opportunities, and advancement within the organization.

Many young people entering the work force are surprised to
learn that their boss is not perfect. Your boss is a
unique individual that can get in a bad mood, make a bad
decision, or exhibit imperfections just like anyone else.
The ...
... key to achieving success at Work is to Work around the
idiosyncrasies of Your boss.

Meeting Your Bosses' Standards

Some workers never take the time to understand the
requirements of an assignment. At Motorola, I worked on a
project that was getting behind schedule and over budget.
At a project meeting, the boss asked us to not embellish
our assignments with all kinds of extras. He said "Just
meet the requirements".

After that meeting, every time I received an assignment I
stopped and thought, "Exactly what are the requirements for
this assignment?" Stopping to consider the requirements has
served me well through the years - including getting me
through college.

What are your bosses standards for quality? Some bosses
just want a quick and dirty job. Some bosses expect
everything to be perfect. Some bosses SAY they just want a
quick and dirty job, but when they don't get perfect
results, they complain. The solution is to determine the
requirements of the assignment and just meet the
requirements. Nothing more, nothing less.

Accommodating Your Bosses Work Style

Some bosses like to involve them self in your assignment.
I've seen cases where the boss gives an assignment, and
then sits with you while you're working on the assignment.
Most of the time, boss involvement relates to making
decisions. Some bosses want to make all the decisions,
especially when the worker is new and unknown.

Some bosses expect you to make all the decisions yourself.
They give you an assignment and then make them self scarce
so you can't ask any questions. They just want you to get
the job done. They don't want to be bothered with the
details. Some bosses want to know every little detail of
the progress of the assignment.

You need to learn how to accommodate the work style of your
boss. It's best to make as many decisions as possible
yourself. Keep your boss informed about the progress of
your assignment with regular updates. Recognize when the
importance of a decision requires you to consult with the
boss. Respect your bosses time. If you need help, approach
the boss at an opportune moment for the boss and ask when
would be a good time to talk. Before you approach the boss
for a decision, be prepared to offer possible solutions
that the boss might choose from.

Getting Feedback From Your Boss

Some bosses are uncomfortable giving a worker feedback,
especially if the feedback is negative. Without feedback
you can't succeed at work. The solution is to ask your boss
for feedback. Ask them how you could have done better on an
assignment.

When your boss gives you an assignment, repeat back to them
what the expected result of the assignment is and what your
first step will be. This will give your boss confidence that
you understand the assignment. If there are any areas of the
assignment that are unclear, ask questions. You won't appear
stupid if you ask questions when you get an assignment, but
you will look stupid if you wait until the assignment is
almost due to ask a question.

Politics at the Management Level

It's a fact that all large organizations operate based on
politics. Managers collect big salaries, and they don't
want to lose that money when they make a mistake. In fact,
they strive to make even bigger money by making themselves
look good (usually by making someone else look bad).
Organizational politics is a complex game of back stabbing
and "ass" covering.

At the manager level, playing politics is not a choice,
it's a requirement for survival. Although workers are not
generally involved in an organizations political game, you
can make big points by helping your boss play the game. You
do this by making your boss look good.

Never disagree with or confront your boss in public. This
will cause them to lose face. If you disagree with your
boss, inform them politely in private that you are
expressing your opinion to give the boss more information.
Let the boss know that despite your disagreement, you
intend to carry out your assignment the bosses way.

Some bosses will try to cover their ass by blaming their
mistakes on you. Your best response is to just shrug it
off. In an organization, everybody knows who is really
responsible when a mistake is made.

Some bosses want honest answers. other bosses want an
excuse they can use to cover their ass. Some workers have
such good rapport with their boss that they can give them
an honest answer along with excuses the boss can use to
play the political game (cover their ass).

Never make your boss look bad. Always give advance notice
of when you will take time off, and provide a way to cover
your responsibilities while you're gone. Try to make your
boss look good. In fact, if you accomplish something
successful that has high visibility in the organization,
give your boss the credit. Then inform your boss of your
career goals. That's another rule of the politics game -
you take care of me and I'll take care of you.

Your boss is the most important individual to work with to
achieve success at Work. Your boss is a unique individual
that can get in a bad mood, make a bad decision, or exhibit
imperfections just like anyone else. The key to achieving
success at Work is to Work around the idiosyncrasies of
Your boss.

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About the Author Copyright(C) 2005 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain
your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web
site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com
To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit
http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp