Build a Better Relationship With Your Boss - Part Two
And watch your stock in the company increase as well.
Mr. Slate may be a hard man to work for but if you were Fred Flinstone and you dug deep enough you could find that he is a whole lot like you! The horror! But yes, it's true! Which leads me to step two in building a better relationship with your boss.
Understand they aren't that different from you. They're human!!! (Oh my gosh call the papers!)
Your boss has hopes and dreams. Your boss wishes for a better life for his or her family. Your boss is passionate about a hobby, their children that Italian villa that the hope someday to buy. Like you they fantasize about leading a life they can be proud of and look back upon someday with heartfelt pride.
Sure it's easy to think of the boss as an overpaid pain in your backside. Maybe you work for someone that is constantly on your butt to get in on time, work harder, work smarter and deliver more quality work. How dare they! Perhaps your boss ignores you altogether and doesn't even know you exist (which by the way is the kiss of death).
No matter what kind of boss you work for it is ultimately your responsibility to build a relationship with them.
I can hear it now...."But Steve my boss is a jerk why would on Earth would I want to ever think about building a relationship with him or her?" or "Isn't it their responsibility to get to know me as their employee?" To which I would say, "no you soon to be laid off silly boy or girl! It is most certainly not their responsibility. It's all you bubba (or bubbaette)"
Here's the deal. Your boss regardless of who they are need you. They can't operate the company, build the products, deliver the services or come up with the next great thing alone. They depend on you and your expertise that's why they hired you in the first place. You have a job function that is necessary and important. Sure they may not tell you that but it's true. They need you and let us not forget, you need them too!
So now that we've taken some time to understand them and now realize aside from their plum job title and hefty salary they are human just like you, let's begin to focus on how you can start developing a relationship with them. What do you say?
Ripple On!!!
Missed Part One? http://swotvision.blogspot.com/2010/08/build-better-relationship-with-your.html
3 comments:
I'm glad you're doing this series, Steve. a lot of times, people never think about their bosses until they become the boss.
Only after I started my company and became a boss within another company did I realize the stress of being a boss is different than that of an employee.
Bosses are sometimes just jerks, but some bosses that I thought were jerks actually did me a favor by being a jerk.
one boss in particular, now that I look back, was really trying to help me but I was too young to realize what he was telling me.
It happens.
I like your post Steve, and even when you are self employed, a lot of this still applies because someone is still hiring you to do a job, even if it is contract and temporary. It's a good reminder of how we should see those relationships as well.
Keep 'em coming, Steve. :)
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