7 Tips for Managing Relationship with Boss

For a successful career stint, there are many stakeholders who help us. Among all, it is very important to nurture a healthy professional relationship with the manager who will be the immediate boss. Below are the tips for building and maintaining a trusting relationship in a professional and non-manipulative way.

1.Gain insight about the values of your boss: This tip is at the very bottom of your relationship with your boss. If you carefully observe, you will be able to figure out what your boss values the most. For example, your boss may be particular about keeping up with time, focus on customers, emphasis on quality, integrity, honesty, transparency etc. If you can align with these values, you can be assured that your relationship with your boss has a strong foundation.

2.Understand what your boss considers as performance: For some bosses, it is out and out results – the end results and nothing less. On the other hand, some bosses may be ok if you put in necessary efforts and make attempt to deliver results. There are other bosses who may say that you need to go the extra mile and exceed the minimum expected performance. If you can clearly understand what your boss considers as performance, you will be able to focus on the same from the beginning and thereby avoid the unpleasant surprises later. It will also save your boss from giving negative feedback to you at the end of the year.

3.Understand what behavior pleases your boss: There are bosses who like to see bubbly and high-energy behavior where as there are other bosses who like quieter demeanor. You wont be helping yourself if you demonstrate low energy with highly charged up boss or show chirpy behavior in the presence of a quiet boss. You may not be able to change your personality all together, but you can certainly regulate your behavior to match to the expectations of your boss.

4.Know the information needs of your boss: Check if your boss scores high or low on information needs. That is, if your boss wants to know every small little detail, you will know that the information needs are high. In such cases, you need to take extra care in messaging your boss regularly so that he/she will not feel restless. If you keep such boss informed even before he/she asks, you will be comforting your boss! In case your boss has low information needs, then do not flood his/her mailbox with too many details.

5.Tune in to the communication style of your boss: Some bosses are high-level thinkers and they like only the big picture and innovative ideas. There are bosses who like more data and specifics supported by logic. For some other bosses, their preference is to discuss in groups and take decisions. Closely watch what is the preferred style to get across to your boss. For example, if your boss happens to be specifics and data oriented person and you try to explain an idea, which is fuzzy, you will certainly make it difficult for yourself. Instead, you must do your homework and approach your boss with all your supporting data.

6.Gauge what your boss hates: While you make efforts to understand what pleases your boss, it is important to watch out those aspects that will displease your boss. For example, your boss may pardon you for a tactical mistake in a decision, but may not like to see spelling mistakes in your mails or documents. Or he/she may not like you interacting with some people who he hates; it helps to avoid such displeasing acts! It indicates that you are that much more sensitive to organizational dynamics!

7.Check the discomforts of your boss: If you observe closely, your boss may have some personal discomforts in day-to-day working. For example, your boss may not like to take early morning flights; may not like client meetings at short notice; may not like meetings without agenda; may not like being joked about in public; may not like to make technical presentations and so on. If you understand them, then do not push your boss into zones of discomfort.

An engaging association with the immediate boss requires a good understanding and aligning with the values, styles and expectations of the boss. Like any other relationship, it must be built and nurtured for a smooth professional engagement!