Simple Tips to Impress Your Boss
Did you recently get a new job? Are you looking for ways to impress your supervisor? Many people just like you are curious about how they can go about the business of impressing their supervisor while not coming off as a brownnoser.
If you are looking for some straight forward, basic advice about this topic, this post is for you! The material presented here is based on an informal conversations from various business leaders and managers across a wide swath of industries. Are you ready? Let’s jump right in!
1. Be on time
This advice may sound a bit cliché but it’s super important. Supervisors are often charged with keeping costs low while also having high productivity for those whom they manage. Whenever you are late to work, you cause your boss to take a hit in this work related area, which in turn translates to lost money.
By making sure you are on time to work each day, you help your supervisor’s overall productivity scores remain low and by extension, saves your employer money.
2. Fly under radar
One of the most time consuming jobs a supervisor has is figuring out how to resolve problems. This is particularly true if your boss manages a large group of people. One sure-fire way to get on your bosses good side is to do your job and do it well.
Don’t be the person who constantly brings your supervisor problems. When you do this, you unintentionally come off as a negative person and can put a bad taste in your boss’s mouth. Supervisors like employees who do their job well, are flexible and can adapt to change. And under this point, make sure you never say any of these 5 things at work.
3. Have a solution ready
As mentioned previously, supervisors are problem solvers. If you have an issue that you must bring to your supervisor (after exhausting other resources) make sure you also have ready a solution. Bosses like it when employees are able to identify different challenges and come up with working solutions.
This is a win-win dynamic that can help you look like a superstar when problems do arise. The fix you come up with doesn’t have to be a final solution – even a temporary fix that gets whatever the situation is through the moment can be helpful.
4. Make your boss look good
One of the most important things you can do in your career is be seen as a team player. There are many ways of doing this but the most visible way is by making your boss look good. This is accomplished by speaking only good things about your boss in front of others. Never go over your bosses head about a problem unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e. sexual harassment, abuse).
When you escalate an issue over your supervisor’s head without letting them know, you seriously run the risk of angering your boss and potentially putting your job at risk. If this sounds direct, that’s because it is. Make sure you take this same approach when completing employee surveys. Never use an employee survey as an opportunity to bash your boss. Chances are, your remarks will be traced right back to you with pinpoint accuracy.
5. Demonstrate value
This final point is of key importance. Whenever your boss asks how you are doing, don’t just say “fine”. Instead, say something positive about the work you are doing. Example: “I’m doing great – I just finished completing the ABC report before deadline”.
Another example: “Things are going well, I am on target to reaching my sales goal for the quarter.” Follow these statements up with an offer to be of assistance. Example: “Do you need anything?” Using this approach helps to demonstrate value. Bosses love this. The trick is to do it in a way that is not obvious. You will likely need to play around with this one and modulate how you phrase responses over the course of time.
Final Thoughts
Most Americans will spend nearly 90,000.00 hours of their lifetime at work. Your desire to do well and succeed in your job says a lot about your commitment to yourself and to your future.
At 2nd Story Counseling, several of our helping professionals offer results oriented career counseling. If you are a young or mid-career professional, you may find that getting the assistance of a job coach to be extremely helpful. If you are interested in learning more about career counseling, please call us at 773-528-1777 or send us a confidential note through our online contact form.
So there you have it – 5 tips on how to impress your supervisor! We hope the information presented here insightful. Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to Like 2SC on Facebook. Circle us on Google+!
