Taking Control of Your Relationship With Your Boss

The field of management and authority is closely studied and monitored. There are reams of pages written every year by successful bosses hoping to pass their wisdom on to their fellow managers. Less attention is paid to the critical task of understanding how employees can improve relationships with their bosses, however. This is a mistake because bosses stand to learn just as much from employees as vice versa, and employees can go a long way towards furthering their careers by being proactive and taking control of relationships with their superiors in the workplace. You can really do yourself a favor by working at improving your relationship with your boss by following some simple guidelines and suggestions.

Keep the lines of communication open

An important thing to remember about interacting with your boss is that you want to keep the avenues of communication open at all times. In our digital world, this can be done over email, Slack, texting and other messaging mediums. However, nothing can replace face to face interaction, which we all benefit from. You can take your boss out to lunch or a cup of coffee on a regular basis and do your career a favor. Doing this is a great way to develop an interpersonal relationship that will keep things sailing smoothly at the office. Additionally, communicating on these terms is a way that you can get your goals and hopes across. Your boss will have a better idea of where your aspirations lie and can work with you accordingly from a position of understanding and support.

Anticipate and deliver

One thing that most bosses appreciate in employees is their ability to anticipate and deliver results. A lot goes into this ability, and the communication suggestion outlined above gives you a good starting point. If you’re talking with your boss more often then you’ll of course have a better idea of what they expect and need out of different workflows and projects. Once you’ve started to build this body of knowledge, you’ll be able to start anticipating their needs before they even know they have them. This is one of the ultimate ways to demonstrate value and also can give you a critical responsibility – making sure that your boss is never blindsided by a challenge or a problem. If you can provide that buffer, your skills will be all the more valued by your boss.

Remember, they’re human too

Your boss is a person just like anyone else, and they have the same wants and needs. Building and strengthening a relationship with them is typically a matter of engaging in good listening and communication, as it is in any relationship between two people on a personal or professional level. You can create a candid and trusting level of interaction with your supervisor in such a way that your work will be more meaningful and rewarded. They will have a better understanding of you as a worker, what you want out of your career and how you intend to move forward in life.

Looking for an opportunity to put these skills to use? Let the team at Award Staffing help you find a great position when you contact us today.