How to Manage Your Boss

By Jo Stuteley, from office support recruiter la crème

Managing your boss is not actually as difficult as you may think and “managing up” has become an acceptable term in today’s corporate workplace. Irrespective of your position in the company, you need to speak the same language as your boss or the person you want to influence or ‘manage’, and focus on what matters to them. This is essential to succeeding in and developing your career, as at some point, you're likely to come across a boss, a colleague or a client who may be difficult to relate to or influence.

If you are having difficulty getting your manager to buy into your ideas, your problem may be that you’re not communicating to him or her on their own terms – in other words – you’re failing to “manage up”. So, what should you be doing?

Understand your manager’s objectives and values and how they fit into the company’s overall goals. Take time to find out what makes them tick.

When presenting ideas, refer to your managers goals and objectives – usually those that will improve the bottom line – and ask yourself how your ideas will benefit the team, the company and your manager!  Don’t forget that often, the better manager you are, the more likely it is that you will be seen as the product of your bosses good management.

Don’t assume that some areas of business are for you, and some are for your boss.  Your manager may have greater status and influence, more experience and broader vision but you may well have a greater or more detailed understanding of day to day issues. So get involved and keep close to the issues your boss is involved in - they are not superhuman and may just miss something.

Know what your managers pet hates are – being late, sloppy spelling, rude jokes etc – and avoid them.

Don’t rely on your boss for constant detailed guidance on every issue that comes up and avoid consulting them on a problem if you haven't spent at least 10 minutes thinking of possible solutions. It will impress your manager if you go to them with a tricky issue and then suggest ways to resolve it. Gradually develop a way of handling your boss by understanding what to deal with directly and what to consult on.

Try to get to know your boss's boss. By doing so, you'll have a better understanding of what motivates your boss, what puts them under pressure and where their worst habits originate.

Use a human touch: Whether you love them or hate them, bosses are people too - they have bad days and worry about their personal lives. Don't assume that every bad mood or snappish remark is really about you.

And finally, it’s worth remembering what the author and poet Robert Frost once said: “By working hard eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work hard twelve hours a day!