5 easy ways to make your boss like you

8/3/2019 5 Easy Ways to Make Your Boss Like You

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5 easy ways to make your boss like you

Bangalore:

1. Never Gossip About Your Boss

If you have anything negative to say about your boss, don't talk about it with your coworkers. Instead,

wait for work to end and talk with your non-coworker friends about it. It is very likely that anything

negative you say about your boss will eventually reach his/her ears. This can make an enemy out of

someone in a higher position than you which can severely hurt your career and reputation.

2. Get To Know Your Boss

If your office culture allows casual conversation during the day, make an effort to stop by yourboss's office and ask how he/she is doing. Ask about their weekend, families, hobbies, or

whatever else they might be interested in talking about. Your boss will probably have familyphotos, vacation photos, and other important items posted on their walls, which makes starting a

conversation easier.

After learning a little about them and their lives, you can have more conversations with them in

the future. Learning more about your boss is something that is free and enjoyable and can benefityou greatly. So take some initiative and get to know your boss a little more.

3. Ask For Advice

If you have a work or career related problem, ask your boss for advice. Asking for advice will show your

boss that you trust him/her and you value his/her opinion. If you act on the advice you get, follow up

and tell your boss what happened (assuming the advice had a positive effect). Validating your boss's

advice will make him/her feel better and will strengthen the relationship you share.

4. Don't Slack Off

Make sure you stay focused at work and don't slack off. Limit the time you spend chatting with

coworkers, snacking, and surfing the internet. Try to keep work in front of you at all times so it at least

looks like you are doing something. If your boss gets the impression that you slack off too much, he or

she will lose your trust and think you're working less than you might be. Also, when you are not as

involved in your work, time will move more slowly, and your day will just seem longer. So stay on task

and really wrap yourself in your work.

. Maintain A Positive AttitudeMaintaining a positive attitude will help boost the moral of your boss and coworkers. Talk aboutthe things that are going well on a project and be optimistic about overcoming the problems you

face. No one benefits from or enjoys someone who worries and complains about everything.

6. Don't Be A Yes ManBeing a yes man will make your coworkers and boss despise you. A yes man often comes off as


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insincere and sleazy. Also a boss will never treat a yes man as an equal, which greatly limitsfuture advancement. Being a yes man is bad, but that doesn't mean you should constantly

disagree with your boss. Be professional and have the confidence and smarts to agree anddisagree with your boss when the time is right.

7. Keep It ProfessionalIt doesn't hurt to spice things up every now and then at the office, but for the most part, keep it

professional. Don't plaster your walls with comics or internet jokes and make sure your attire is

always appropriate. Don't be too casual at work because work is supposed to be taken seriously.If you take a more casual approach to work, your boss may think you are uninterested in your

career.

8. Produce ResultsMake sure you can produce results on the projects you are working on. If you ever get stuck ask

around for help until you are able to complete a given task. This will give you a reputation ofbeing a hard worker and will give you a chance to interact with your coworkers in a positive

way.

9. Be Consistent

Get to a level where you have a good relationship with your boss and stay on course. Beconsistent in everything you do to continue building the relationship you have with your boss. If

you fizzle out or show signs of change, your boss will likely be turned off by that.

10. Have Good Relationships With Your CoworkersHaving strong relationships with your coworkers can make a huge difference in how your boss

perceives you. If yourcoworkers love and respect you, it is likely your boss will too. Havingstrong relationships with your coworkers will also make it easier for you to find help, and

delegate tasks. Your boss will see this and give you more responsibility which can lead to futurecareer advancements. Having good relationships with your coworkers will also make your work

life more enjoyable.

Having a good relationship with your boss can help you have a more successful career and life.There are many more ways to improve the relationship between you and your boss. We

encourage you to try as many as you can, just don't suck up.

1. Ask When You Do Not Know

Never assume things. Never assume how things are done or need to be done. When you are notclear always ask.

You probably think, wouldnt that make me look bad? Well, what is worst? Because you

assumed you got the work wrong and spend more time correcting it or asking to clarify?

2. Take InitiativeAsking when you do not know does not mean that you cannot take initiatives.


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In fact, you should learn to take initiatives when the need arise or when the opportunity presentsitself.

Is there something that can be done better or should be attended to but no one found the time to

attend to it. Ask to be the one in charge and make sure you see through the initiative you have

taken.

3. Be An Ever Present Help

Be there whenever help is needed. Is there a project that may need more hands? Take theinitiative to ask for a role.

Your boss will appreciate the extra help. Even if your help is not needed, your boss would atleast know you are willing to chip in. This is one of the easiest ways on how to make your boss

like you.

4. Make Your Boss Look Good

Now, that doesnt mean you take blame for things that go wrong. It can be something as easy aspreparing the background to a meeting she is attending. In this case, ensure that she has thepertinent information needed to have a productive meet.

5. Stay Out Of Trouble

Do not get involved in office politics. Do not gossip. Do not speak ill about other colleagues beit in your team or otherwise. Not only will you suffer for your own words and actions, your boss

will too. Create good working relationships across departments. Another way on how to makeyour boss like you is to stay out and avoid giving your boss any trouble. When you go to your

boss with challenges you face, always bring two to three solutions and state your preferredsolution to the challenge you are facing.

6. Be Like A Dry SpongeSoak up the working culture around you. Learn the working styles of your colleagues and how

you can find competitive advantage for yourself. Observe how personnel dynamics work in theoffice - like who can get things done due to their influence. Become a quick learner of

everything.

7. Pick Up Cues Of How Your Boss Works Learn, observe and ask how your boss likes things done. The best person to ask is your boss and

those closest to him.

Learn from others mistakes when they work with your boss. People will complain when theboss reprimands them, and that is the best time to learn what doesnt go down well with the

boss.

8. No Job Is A Bad Job

People like to pick and choose jobs or projects assigned to them. They choose to believe thatsome have more value than others.


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To a certain extent that is true. But it is also true that bosses know who are the ones who aresincere in helping and uses these opportunities to learn. No assignments are bad at an early level.

Every project is an opportunity to learn.

Take the assignment from your boss graciously and do your best. It will not go unnoticed.

9. Dont Try To Get Away With ThingsWhen you make a mistake, come off clean and do not try to cover up. Thats one way on how to

make your boss like you. Dont try to get away with things also means do not do your work bytesting how little effort does it need.

Some people are always trying to get work off with the least possible effort and at a passable rateonly. Strive for excellence in everything that you do. Let the quality of your work shine. Your

boss will know.

10. Be Early

Or should I say - if you want to know how to make your boss like you, be punctual. Sometimesthis can mean be early at work. Do not turn up for work later than your boss. When you leave forthe day, let your boss know you are leaving and ask if anything needs to be attended either that

day itself or the next day.

Of course, there are many more ways on how you can make your boss like you. These are someof those that can work easily.

Like everything in life, you need to do this sincerely in order for it to work.

Put in the Hours -- When It Counts

The choppy economy has us spending more time at the office; according to a survey by theSociety for Human Resource Management, 50 percent of workers say there s more pressure towork long hours now than there was a year ago. Roughly half of all workers also say they reincreasing their hours to impress the boss and shore up job security. But bosses say they don t

actually care how many hours employees work, as long as the job gets done. Yes, managersexpect late nights or a sacrificed weekend in a crunch. But when it s just for show, you re

wasting your time. Shai Littlejohn, an entertainment lawyer, says there s nothing more annoyingthan an employee who brags about his long hours it strikes her as self-serving. Plus, she can t

help wondering, Why can t you finish your job in a normal amount of time like everyone else?

Another reason to pace yourself? There s actually evidence that working long hours can hurt

your performance. A study published this year in the American Journal of Epidemiology foundthat middle-aged workers who consistently worked at least 55 hours a week scored lower onreasoning and vocabulary tests than counterparts working 40-hour weeks. A second study found

that medical residents working 90 hours a week showed the same impairment level as those whodrank 4 ounces of vodka.

Most bosses understand that a work-life balance creates a happy, productive employee; they

appreciate a worker who paces herself to maintain peak performance. Crowley, coauthor with


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Kathi Elster of Working for You Isn t Working for Me, suggests that employees tell their bossesexactly what they need: I have to leave tonight at 7 while explaining, I need some rest because I

want to do the best job possible. And if you happen to get caught goofing off on the job, don tpretend you re not. Steve Richard, CEO of Arlington, Va., sales outsourcing firm Vorsight, says

it s annoying to approach an employee and watch him switch from Facebook or a sports site to a

spreadsheet. I m human I look at ESPN too, he says. Don t hide it from me.

Empathize

David Via, vice president of sales and marketing for D Addario, a Long Island music-accessoriesmanufacturer, offers unusual words of praise for his national sales manager: He reads between

the lines. For instance, Via recently CC d this sales manager on an e-mail to another employeewho wanted advice on a big contract. I ll see if I can do it over the weekend, Via wrote. The

unspoken message? I m totally swamped! Via was delighted when the manager immediatelyoffered to review the contract himself.

Be a Conduit

The boss who surrounds himself with panting sycophants is an old clich , but the stereotype has

little basis in reality. Fact is, leaders worry about overlooking unpleasant truths in the office.Elster, a Manhattan business strategist and executive coach, says some bosses are so desperate

for straight information, they hire folks like her to grill employees and report back. No surprise,then, that an employee who tells the ugly truth is invaluable to the boss, she says.

Stuart Udell, CEO of 550-employee online college Penn Foster, found that as he rose higher inthe ranks, he heard far less negative feedback. So he particularly appreciates employees who clue

him in to festering problems. He fondly recalls a warehouse manager who took smoke breakswith coworkers and came to him with insider intelligence. At another company, Udell relied on a

sales VP who told him when the finance and product teams weren t communicating. He didn tregard these folks as snitches, he says, because they never trashed individual colleagues. Indeed,

Elster advises against tattling about an employee s ethics or performance, because it looksvindictive and self-serving.

Bosses say they also value employees who help them understand when the troops are confused

or misinformed. Justin Honaman, director of customer intelligence at Coca-Cola (KO: 69.34,0.47, 0.68%), says he loves employees who pose the questions in meetings that everyone else is

afraid to ask. It helps him do his job. After all, he has no way of knowing what his team doesn tknow. On the flip side, he dislikes employees who ask questions engineered to put him on the

spot. It s funny for a few minutes, he says, but you don t forget it.

Ask for Help

Bosses say they love an employee who asks for help. Not only does it show humility and a desireto learn, but it s also a subtle form of flattery ego-stroking for the boss, says Ridgewood, N.J.,

executive coach Bill Belknap. In fact, self-reliance can backfire. John Southard, partner atOverland Park, Kan., architecture firm Hollis + Miller, says younger associates try to impress by

handling everything themselves, but those who seek advice perform better and advance faster.


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Of course, the cheerleading can backfire if it s not supported by results. Vorsight CEO Richardsays he s frustrated with salespeople who set optimistic goals and fail to deliver. He needs

accurate forecasts to manage cash flow, and the puffery is very annoying.

Make Like Mini-Me

They say that if you want to be the boss, you should dress like the boss. That s true. But here s aneven better reason to copy your supervisor s look: It creates an instant connection. Researchshows that we feel more comfortable and trusting around people who reaffirm the validity of our

own choices, and that includes our choice of fashion. An employee who adopts the boss s look issaying he s on the boss s team, says Clearwater, Fla., image consultant Kelly Machbitz.

Yes, this sounds fairly creepy. But it doesn t mean being a clone. An employee doesn t need todress like his manager every day. Rather, it s a strategy for face-to-face meetings. Nor does it

mean slavishly imitating the boss s look down to the last detail. Instead of buying the same RalphLauren striped shirt the boss wore last Thursday, a zippy stripe from another designer will do.

Successful mimics also decode the unspoken boundaries of their manager s attire; they never

show up looking more casual or sloppier than the boss looks on his worst day.

There are other sartorial strategies that establish trust on a subconscious level. An employee who

upstages her boss by dressing more formally or expensively looks out of place and signals thatshe s gunning for her manager s job. Machbitz also recommends building a wardrobe around

reassuring colors. Brown, navy blue and gray convey competence; black and bright red areaggressive and threatening.

Get Your Face Time

Forced to choose between a competent jerk and a likable fool, any boss will swear he d pick the

jerk. But that s not how it works in real life. In a study analyzing more than 10,000 workrelationships across four white-collar companies, Stanford and Harvard University researchers

found that time and time again people choose likability over competence. They also found thatperceived likability depends, in part, on something as simple as how much time people spend

together: We like folks with whom we are familiar, and the better we know someone, the easierthey are to work with.

No wonder Americans spend so much time dining and golfing with the boss. While the days of

bringing the boss home for dinner are long gone, a recent survey of six-figure executives foundthat 55 percent said socializing with the boss was good for their career, and 27 percent believe it

s a necessity. Only 17 percent said they never hang with the boss outside work. Alas, this is one

area where employees have to let the boss take the lead, says Crowley, the psychotherapist. If theboss extends an invitation, it s bad form to say no, but inviting the boss for drinks or a round ofgolf nearly always comes off as manipulative.

Most bosses have very firm ideas about how and when they want to socialize with subordinates.Southard, the architect, says he and his partners put a lot of thought into a formal program of

office events for socializing including Thirsty Thursdays coordinated by a Ministry of Fun, plus


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scheduled coffee breaks. So when an employee comes by outside those hours to chitchat, he can thelp wondering, Are they bored?

Still, there are subtle ways of orchestrating face time. Littlejohn, the lawyer, says she appreciates

being included in group invitations via e-mail ( Going to lunch anyone interested? ). Selecting a

conference or seminar to attend with a boss shows initiative, and the process of learning togethercan be a bonding experience. Folks who bump into the boss outside the office should keep itfriendly but brief. Rivers, the university president, says he tries to be polite, but employee

encounters can interfere with his grocery shopping: That gets to be a little trying at times.

1. Beat the ClockMost bosses are pretty consistent on the time they get into your office. Take note. If yoursalways arrives at 7.50 get there at 7.45 (even if your official start time is 8).

Bonus to you: Arriving earlier than the boss makes you look keen and eager. Plus, when

youre skiving on Twitter or Facebook later in the day, you can justify it to yourself by

those 15 extra minutes in the morning.

2. Say Good Morning!However hungover, knackered or grumpy youre feeling first thing in the morning,

plaster a great big smile on your face and say, Good Morning! to your boss.

Bonus to you: Two friendly words can go a long way in putting you in your bosss goodbooks first thing in the day. And (if youre following the first tip), your boss will know

youre in the office bright and early.

3. Volunteer StrategicallyIf youre in a meeting and someone asks for volunteers, be the first to put your hand up.That way, youll look keen and engaged. This will be a tough one to swallow if your

workload is already jammed but volunteering for the right, high visibility project canincrease the perception of you.

Bonus to you: Youll get the task you want (i.e. the one with least effort but highest

visibility) and not get lumbered with what the boss assigns you.

4. Be the Printer GuruEven if its nothing at all to do with your job description, learn where the spare ink/toneris kept and how to fit it. When theres a paper jam or error, get someone to show you

what to do.


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Bonus to you: When your boss is running around in a flap before a big meeting, youll be

the hero who fixes his very-important-report-wont-print crisis.

5. Say ThanksBeen given a pay raise, promotion or extra days holiday or even just some of yourbosss valuable time and advice? Make sure you say thanks. If possible, thank him/her

at the time, and follow up with a short note to express your appreciation.

Bonus to you: It takes ten minutes of your time and perhaps a couple of dollars to buy aThank You card for your boss. If you feel strange with this one because a man giving a

man a card is out of the norm, just send an email. In the end, it's the thought that reallycounts here. Guess wholl be first on his mind when the next round of pay-raises comes

along?

6. Make CoffeeThis will make most of the people in the office like you, not just your boss. However foryou boss, occasionally take a minute to say Im just making myself a coffee, can I get

you one? (doing so multiple times per day will have the opposite effect as you're labeledas a brown-noser).

Bonus to you: For virtually zero effort, you give your boss the impression that youre a

considerate, friendly employee who cares about him/her bosses often feel unloved.

7. Use The Right JargonPay extra-close attention to the buzzwords that your boss uses. Drop these into the thingsyou say at meetings, and into your emails. This isnt a chance to play buzzword bingo

what you want to demonstrate is that youre on the same wavelength as your boss.

Bonus to you: Sometimes you can get away with something with just the right words.Youre not filing your emails for lack of anything better to do youre implementing

new communication management protocols to further the client-company relationship.

8. Create ProceduresClosely related to using the right buzzwords is creating the right procedures that is, anywhich get you out of hot water. If something goes pear-shaped at work, explain that it

was due to a procedural error or a fault in the procedure. Then, try to correct the


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process.

Bonus to you: Explaining that the same mistake cant possibly happen again once Ivechanged the procedure makes your boss think youre on top of everything. Even when

you so, so arent.

9. Leave An Email TrailIf youre ever working from home, a cunning way to demonstrate how many hoursyoure (supposedly) putting in is to make sure that your boss is the recipient of, or copied

in to, at least one of your emails first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Bonus to you: Your boss will think youve been hard at work between that first email at7.30am and that last one at 9.00pm. You actually sent that first email in your jammies

(and went straight back to bed), then took the afternoon off to catch a movie...

10.Fake EnthusiasmEven if your job is as dry as dust, fake enthusiasm wherever possible. Plaster a big smileon your face and wave your hands around when enthusing to customers or colleagues

about your company.

Bonus to you: Your boss will think youre truly (and possibly even a bit madly) dedicatedto your job. You might find yourself enjoying it more by being enthusiastic, too.

How do you get into your bosss good books without doing too much work? Im sure youvegot plenty more tips to add to my list, so lets hear them in the comments!

Be On Time (if not early) Every Day

Being late consistently will certainly get you noticed. It will also get you fired if you're not

careful. By showing up on time every day, you give the impression that you respect your boss'stime as well as the impression that you take your job seriously. Being on time also helps you to

ease into your day rather than rushing in and having things go wrong because you're moving tooquickly and missing important details.

Take Initiative

Chances are your boss is very busy and doesn't want to have to do a lot of hand holding when it

comes to delegating. If you see something that needs to be done, do it. Don't wait for your bossto tell you to do it unless it is something that requires his or her approval. Then by all means,

save it for a time when you know he or she isn't busy and get the approval or clarity you need toproceed.


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Find Solutions to Problems

Don't go to your boss with a laundry list of work related problems or concerns you are having

and expect him or her to make it all better for you. Take some time to think about what everissues you are dealing with and come up with creative solutions. Then you can go to your boss

with a plan for how to deal with the situation. Your boss will appreciate that you took the time tothink it through. You will also give the impression of being a creative, independent thinker who

can solve problems and handle conflict.

Walk the Talk

If you say you know how to do something or have experience with something, prove it. Don't

brag about your achievements or knowledge just for a pat on the back. Put that knowledge into

action to benefit the company and watch how quickly your boss takes notice.

Be Organized

Many people think a messy desk is a sign of creativity. It could also be a sign of disorganization

and inability to manage priorities. Create an organized space to show those around you,including your boss, that you have your work under control and you can handle whatever comes

your way.

Be Willing to Learn

Don't just do your 8 hours and leave. Show your willingness to learn more about the company oryour industry by requesting to take professional development classes, job specific classes or

seminars or openly discuss books you've been reading on the subject.

Don't be a Yes Man (or Woman)

Your boss doesn't want to hear "yes" all the time. By agreeing with everything he or she says,you are giving the impression that you cannot think for yourself. You may also come off as

insincere. Express your own opinion about things in a polite fashion and if you are givenassignments or tasks you are not comfortable with, say so. Your boss will have a better

understanding of your strengths and will appreciate your honesty.

Offer to Help

When there is a big meeting happening or a company function, offer your time and talents tohelp organize it or to head up a committee. This will show you are a take-charge individual as

well as a team player. It may be a little extra work, but the extra effort will go a long way.


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Have a Great Attitude

Nothing makes an employer take notice more than a great attitude. Stay upbeat when everyone

else is complaining. Assuring your boss you can get the job done no matter what will make youstand out as being dependable and the person your boss can turn to when the going gets tough.

Do a Good Job

It may sound simple but doing a good job is one of the easiest ways to impress your boss. If your

boss sees that you are consistently doing a good job you will be recognized for it.

As you can see, there are subtle and productive ways to impress your boss without appearing

desperate for a pat on the back. Following these simple suggestions will not only get your boss totake notice, but will provide you with a career that is continually rewarding and satisfying.

5 easy ways to make your boss like you

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