How to Manage your BOSS
Organisations are complex! There are wide fluctuations in skill sets, dynamics with people and teams and, bosses who may have only been in the business a short time with little experience, or maybe a long time and have entrenched rigid attitudes. And, maybe you feel like one cog in the wheel of success who can’t change things? NOW, let’s look at this differently. YOU are an individual who has amazing potential and through your insight and awareness about how your boss is or isn’t managing, you can work together to create success. Maybe even one day soon, YOU CAN BE THE BOSS!
“The person who knows HOW will always have a job. The person who knows WHY will always be his boss.” Alanis Morissette
Leaders are NOT well trained
The SAL Report shows that “Australian Leaders have not mastered the fundamentals of Management” and that Australian organisations should be concerned about the state of leadership and management capability. The findings reveal a pattern of mediocre leadership in many organisations that will likely impair their capacity to shift to a knowledge economy and impede their efforts to raise productivity. In essence, Page V11 outlines that “Many Australian leaders are not well-trained for the job.” This means that situations may be encountered that can prove difficult for employees, however it also presents opportunities for change and win-win situations. You have an opportunity to lead!
Learning from BAD BOSS experiences
I am sure you would all agree with my blog that we have all worked with that bad boss and that we need to take courage to deal with the situation! Not every boss is a good boss, as just about everyone has experienced in their working life. Maybe you’ve never been considered for a promotion, because you’re not one of the boss’s ‘favourite’ employees. Or perhaps they often give you ‘urgent’ work just before the end of the day, insisting that it can’t wait until you get to work tomorrow. No matter what they do, bosses like these can drive us crazy. They’re often either power-mad with giant egos, or just plain clueless.
Bad bosses make us miserable; dealing with their negative behaviours day in and day out is exhausting. It’s all too common, and its bosses, not companies that people are often actually leaving. If you’re dealing with a bad boss, you can make it a good thing for your career. Here’s how:
- Learning Not To Jump Ship Straight Away
- Learning How To Deal With Others’ Emotions, And Controlling Your Own Reactions
- Learning How To Be A Better Boss
Dealing with a bad boss is never easy, but you need to remember that you can learn a lot from the experience. Using the lessons you’ve learned, you can move forward in your professional development and your career – and that’s worth the misery of a bad boss. Your time with your bad boss will come to an end, so take the time to make sure your next move is a great one!
Managing your BOSS is a REAL THING
Linda Le Phan outlines, “How to manage your boss – and yes, it’s a thing.” If you’re a working adult, you’re probably used to managing your own schedule, priorities, and workload. But have you ever thought about the need to manage your boss/manager? Because believe it or not, it’s a real thing and it’s referred to in business management as managing up. I know what you might be thinking … isn’t it my boss’ job to manage me? Why do I, then, have to think at all about managing them? Well, to put it simply, it’s because if you don’t at least try, you’re setting yourself up to fail slowly over time. Your boss is this other human being who is arguably one of the most important relationships you’ll ever have at work – so the way you “manage” that relationship can drive your career and personal development forward fast OR lead to your demise. The best way to go about managing your boss is by taking ownership over your end of the working relationship, specifically when it comes down to communication, expectations, and problem-solving. Here are some tips on how to go about doing that:
- Be clear about your career goals
- When problems arise, think about solutions
- Give your manager honest feedback
- Be clear about what’s missing
- Ask questions
Managing your manager isn’t a total cake-walk, but it doesn’t have to be super hard either; it just requires focused effort and an open mind on your part. The reward for doing it is high; you may be able to stay with the same company for many years in a fulfilling career that you actually enjoy and want, rather than have to start all over at a new job and company where the same issues arise or your boss is even worse!
The 10 DOs and 10 DONTs of Managing your BOSS
Liz Ryan in Forbes summarises one of the many letters she receives from contributors and how to manage your boss with 10 easy steps. The letter reads “I’ve heard the term “managing your boss” but I’m not sure what it means. I go up and down with my boss “Greg.” He’s a good guy but at times he can be so frenetic I don’t even want to be around him. When he gets that way, Greg changes his mind three or four times a day. He half-apologizes for all the changes, but not really. He expects me to remember every tiny detail he has ever mentioned to me, and it gets really old. On the plus side Greg is a good manager when he isn’t feeling pressure and freaking out. When he’s relatively calm which is about 80% of the time, Greg is a good mentor and collaborator. I want to manage my relationship with Greg instead of just weathering it. Right now I live in fear of the next incident of Greg going into fight-or-flight mode and making my life hell. I want to get some control over those episodes if I can. Got any suggestions for me?”
Does this sound familiar? Liz summarises 10 DOs and DONTs in managing your boss.
10 DOs for Managing your Boss:
- Remember that your manager has their own fears, concerns and frustrations
- Try to take your manager’s point of view whenever possible
- Figure out what is most important to your boss this year
- Acknowledge your manager when they help you
- Express your concerns in a positive fashion
- Speak up if your manager is misinformed about any aspect of your work
- When your boss is a pain in the neck, don’t take it personally
- When the boss is in his calm mode, reinforce him like crazy
- Think about what you want over the long term
- Finally, acknowledge yourself for owning your relationships
10 DONTs for Managing Your Boss
- Start a conversation with your boss when you’re mad or upset
- Fall into a win/lose mentality and counting yes’s and no’s
- Go to your manager with a list of complaints
- Ask your boss to adjudicate arguments with co-workers
- Be shy about asking for feedback or advice on a situation
- Forget to keep your manager informed of positive things you hear
- Assume your boss knows important news you hear during the day
- Bash your manager to other employees, or vice versa
- Ask your boss to solve tiny problems you could solve on your own
- Assume that because your manager is different you can’t be real with them
Improve your Leadership Skills, Manage your BOSS
Now that you understand about the importance of managing your boss, I am here to support you for your next level of success through three opportunities:
1. Join my Course to your Inner Courage – and it’s only $47! I am beyond excited and privileged to have you working with me on my First Comes Courage Read-Along Course. Book your spot, grab the book and make this year a year of Courage! Join alone or as a team! Starts 22nd February 2021 and you enrol and start anytime…
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Get in touch today to learn more about building leadership skills and set yourself up for success!
Stay Kind. Stay Courageous.
Sonia x
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