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Harvey Mackay
Column
For the week
of April 26, 2010
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Managing Your
Boss for Better or Worse
My new favorite pastime, talking
about jobs, has reinforced my belief that people work for bosses
as much as they work for companies. By that I mean that given
a good boss in a good company, employees are far less likely
to leave for greener pastures.
Because your primary relationship
at work is often with your manager, you must develop a mutual
trust and respect in order to move up the ladder. You should
do this to even stay where you are, considering the current job
market. If you ignore this fact, regardless of your strengths
and abilities, you will probably not reach the next rung.
Employees are not powerless in
this relationship. In fact, they have significantly more control
than most realize. How do you go about managing your boss? |
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For starters, don't be afraid
of your boss. Be respectful, but not scared. You are both important
to the company, and a good boss knows that. You need each other
to get the work done.
Next, do your job as well as
you can. Bosses who have tangible, measurable evidence of your
value to the company can point to the successes generated by
their department. If you contribute to the supervisor's success,
you will position yourself as a team player and a dependable,
valuable employee.
Pay attention to company politics.
Take note of the power structure within the company and observe
the dynamics. If you understand how your boss manages relationships
with superiors, peers and subordinates, you will be able to identify
your role in helping your boss be successful.
Make the boss look good. Do your
job well, and find ways to let others know that your manager
has excelled in leading your team. Don't get so wrapped up in
taking credit for a project that you alienate those with whom
you'll be working in the future. I'm not talking about massaging
inflated egos -- I'm reminding you that you rarely go it alone.
Sometimes you will disagree with
management. When it becomes necessary to confront your boss,
the way you choose to approach the issue can be as important
as the issue itself. You can criticize your supervisor without
harming an otherwise good relationship if you follow these suggestions:
- Pick your battles wisely.
Criticize for the right
reasons, not just to make yourself look good. Otherwise your
motives will quickly become transparent. Criticism should come
only in response to behavior that affects your work or your organization.
Refrain from attacking the person. Keep things on a professional
level.
- Timing is everything. You didn't ask for the keys to the car
when your parents were in a bad mood. Choose a time when the
boss is most likely to be receptive to your feedback. You already
know whether the boss is a morning person, or is less cheerful
after a management meeting. Take note of the supervisor's situation
and the general company environment. Don't ambush an already
embattled boss. Your points will get lost in the confusion.
- Suggest solutions. Complaints and criticisms get a better
reception if you offer ideas to fix the problem. Help your boss
see how the situation could improve with a different approach,
and how the company can benefit.
- Frame the criticism in terms
of the boss's principles.
Make your point by acknowledging the supervisor's general positive
behavior, or the company manual and rules. Let the boss know
you have been paying attention to his or her memos, guidelines
and example. You're not trying to catch the boss doing something
wrong so, trust me, an accusatory tone will backfire.
- Only as a last resort, go
over their head. When
a situation is getting out of hand, and the boss cannot be reasoned
with, your only choice may be to take your concerns higher up.
You will run the risk of being portrayed as a tattletale or a
malcontent. Legitimate concerns are actions that waste money
or time; issues that affect quality, safety or the company's
reputation; and things that are obviously illegal or unethical.
How you relate to your manager
is up to you. Just remember, you will always have a boss. I've
owned my own company for many decades, and even though I am in
charge, I have bosses to answer to. They're called customers,
and everyone who works here knows who the real boss is!
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Mackay's Moral: |
You are the boss of how you deal
with your boss. |
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The Author  |
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Harvey Mackay is a nationally
syndicated columnist for United Feature Syndicate. His weekly
articles appear in 52 newspapers around the country, including
the Chicago Sun Times, Rocky Mountain News, Orange County Register,
Minneapolis Star Tribune and Arizona Republic.
http://www.mackay.com/
Copyright, Harvey Mackay. All rights reserved. |
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