Manage Your Boss

At any level in any organization, managing the boss is a foundational skill. Our bosses have the most influence on our daily lives and on our careers. Influencing the boss requires discretion, respect, and patience.

Remember, the boss is only human. This is hard for many of us to grasp. We tend to see bosses in their "roles", even on social occasions. Some of us seem to think our bosses gained their positions by a sort of organizational magic. No one does, even those who play organizational games very well. Bosses need help, and each of us can give that help according to our own roles and abilities.

1. Keep bosses informed. Provide updates on your work (successes and challenges) on a regular basis. This could be through formal channels established by the organization, such as status reports, team meetings, etc. If there are no formal channels, establish your own for yourself, such as periodic meetings and emails clearly identified as updates. When possible, chat in the hallway or lobby or other location where you see your boss. Keep your messages brief and pointed. Don't over-exploit these opportunities or you may be considered a pest. Just say hello sometimes.
2. Identify your work. Put your name on your work and acknowledge others. Reports and other documents get passed around - if your name is not on the work, no one will know that those good ideas or perceptive analyses are yours. Even if your work is excerpted and used in another document, at least someone else is aware that your ideas are valuable.
3. Be proactive. Discover your boss's needs, priorities and interests. If you read a very good article or find a very good website, send it on to your boss. Again, do not pester with loosely related material. If you have a great idea that will advance the goals of your colleagues, team or your boss, develop it before proposing it. Develop a short document and answer questions such as What exactly is the idea?, How specifically will it advance the organization?, How does it fit in with current goals and schedules?, What resources could be needed? Even if you don't know all the answers, be sure to address these key components of any action.

The more we align our work and ideas to what our boss needs, the more valuable we are to the whole organization. If this is not true, find another position or organization where you will be valued.