We all have heard that people don’t leave their organisations but mostly their bosses. That the boss acts as a face of the organisation, it becomes more imperative to cultivate and nurture your relationship with your boss in ways that will help you to thrive in the organisation. Respectful and positive relationship between a boss and his or her employees is key to any company’s productivity and in turn, success. You may work for your boss for a certain duration, but building a relationship that stays beyond tenure and geographies will talk a lot about your past performance and your future potentials. Believe me, there are more reasons to have a positive equation with your boss than only self-advancement and growth.
Your boss plays a pivotal role in your career, grooming and learning, quality of your projects, rewards and recognition, high motivation, etc. He weaves the threads between your role and the company’s vision. Yes, where his top priority is to fulfil the organisation’s vision and growth plans, he works every day to get these achieved with your support, trust and dedication. Above all, you would like to spend your 10 hours of work time with such people who can stand for you, recognise your potential and reward you with ample opportunities to contribute and learn on a daily basis. Your boss is the guiding force in achieving these hygiene factors at workplace.
If you also wish to have a relationship with your boss that goes beyond time and tide, here are 5 sugesstion for building a respectable and rewarding relationship with your boss:
1. You can also set Up Monthly Meetings
In my Human Resources career in early 2007, I had the greatest opportunities to contribute and lead the employee lifecycle. While facilitating exit interviews in one of the pioneering telecommunication brand, one of the recurrent reasons to attrite was that my boss does not have time for me. Now with a span of control of 20-50 employees, it is impractical to meet everybody daily on coffee meets and keep a check on the deliverables, concerns and learnings. So, it was recommended to employees then to set up individual meets with your boss over a month. It shows caring and responsiveness from the employees and keeps the channel of communication open and approachable. with me throughout the month. This also helps them to know what’s going on in the business, what’s trending in the business and keeps you connected with the goals and expectations.
Such meets shows your connect with the job and the organisation too. It also keeps your morale at a high level and tracks your productivity and learnings.
2. Know and adapt to his Communication Style
As an entrepreneur, I have always made it a point to check on quick suggestions with my team members and receive their ideas openly. This encourages open communication and dialogue exchange. There have been number of times when my team has shared their ideas as well as negated my ideas too, politely though. But for few, this can get ugly and scary to assert their opinions with their bosses.
For me, the hardest thing at the start of my career was to understand my boss’s and other colleagues’ communication style. Generally, it takes some time to know organisational environment and how everything functions. Taking conscious efforts, you eventually learn and find adaptive strategies. You may also check with your boss on preferred communication styles and norms at the workplace. This will break the ice and any unsaid line of barriers of communication. Feeling comfortable with your boss to express fearlessly will build strong and sustainable relationship with the organisation.
3. Pick your battles wisely – at work too!
Every day is not a Sunday! Over a period of time, the glamour and the glitz of the organisation and the boss wanes off. Now every day, you are left with animosity and struggle. You may have more than hundred reasons to disagree with your boss hower, check if these battes are worthy of your time, goals and of your strain and after-effects of going South with your boss? Remember that at the end, your boss also has to work for his boss and the organisation at large. Neither is he your friend nor can he go out of the way and play favours. Pick your fights wisely. They could bring the best and the worst out of the both of you.
4. Your boss is a Human just like you!
Althouh your boss seems close to perfection in problem solving and mentoring, he may not have answers and solutions to all. As he spends his day working cloely on his goals and company’s vision, they may have a certain sense of responsibility that you cannot ever imagine today. He too can err and may not exhibit robotic and perfect mannerisms.
Now how does one build rapport – through thoughtful questions and caring attitude. At the end, everyone likes to be asked “How are you?” or “How was your weekend?” as we resume office on Mondays. And rapport can be built both ways. You could make it a point to come prepared with a set of conversational questions so that you do not feel stumped. One doesn’t need to be friends with the boss however, we can take the initiative to be friendly and approachable.
When I drove the initiative to lead a one-on-one meeting marathon run dealing with ‘How and Why to conduct One – on – one meetings’. You may ask that what one can ask the boss? Really does this work, yes it does. Travel plans, leisure ideas, passion, fitness, social activities, and more could be included in your list..
5. Be Yourself, Be Loyal
Many of us spend their 85% of wakeful hours in office working with your colleagues or your boss. It would logical and conscientious stand to take on sharing a more solid relationship with your boss with whom you will make your career. If you nurture and condition it well, you will have a mentor and a guide for a lifetime. Many of my peers and colleagues have their former bosses extending their support for job prospects, consulting projects or sharing vacay goals.
Stay true to your words and actions, be honest and express any situations that are affecting your personal as well as professional life. Try not to keep secrets from your boss as that will start spilling into your work relationships.
As an entrepreneur, I prefer to always have my team members tell me anything that can bother or affect their focus at work or at home. This helps them to strike a chord and build trust. This also adds to their willingness to share ideas, situations, suggestions or feedback in a far safer and constructive environment. So, if they have to suggest any change in work schedule or deliverables, they do not battle an eyelid to express assertively.
Keep in mind that you are not here to make friends with your boss but create a warm, caring and friendly attitude towards your manager. The focus is on building good communicative relationship and trust – and the rewards will follow.
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