Learn and Use the Key Factors in “Boss Management”

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Can You Really Manage Your Boss?

Almost everyone (including managers) would love to manage their boss. This spurs the question, “Can I really manage my boss?” Well, no, not really. Sorry. However, while it may be impossible to “physically” manage your boss, there are things employees can do to manage the interface between boss and employee.

Managing your one-to-one relationship with your supervisor can bring you multiple benefits.

• Your image as a valued team member will increase.
• Your stature as an effective assistant to your boss will increase.
• Your knowledge base regarding management techniques, issues, and responsibilities will increase as you interact with your boss.
• Positive recognition from others higher up on the organization chart will increase.

This may sound a bit ambitious, but some or all of these excellent results often occur. As you might expect, managing your boss is typically successful only if it isn’t obvious that you’re doing so. Should you “manage” a bit too hard and openly, you may create the opposite effect. You might be perceived as pushy and overstepping your boundaries.

A more subtle approach, however, can bring you many rewards. For example, assume you have a boss that is not easily approachable or fond of operations suggestions from his/her staff. You cannot manage with authority, since you don’t have any, but you want your boss to hear and consider your new ideas. Try keeping your introduction brief – or non-existent – and get right to your point: Stating how your idea will directly benefit your boss first.

Since you can’t force your boss to listen to your ideas, try to make him/her want to hear your suggestions. This is one way to “manage” your boss without announcing to the workplace that you are doing so. You have achieved your goal – having your boss listen to your ideas – and you have risen in stature with your manager since you provided a suggestion that directly helps him/her look better. Here are some tips to manage your boss and achieve win-win situations for both of you.

How to Maximize Your Image and Performance With Your Boss

Learning some techniques to manage your boss can enhance your workplace experience and sometimes move you to the fast track on the company ladder.

• Become a resource center for your boss. By reading, observing, and asking questions, build your knowledge base on both your job and the job of your team or department. When your boss needs something – information, help, answers – you’ll be ready to volunteer and step up. Over time, your boss will often ask you first as he/she considers you a personal resource center.
  
  
• Frame your suggestions and ideas in tune with your boss’s needs, wishes, and/or frustrations. You want your boss to consider you an effective problem-solver. Guess what are usually the most important problems? Those directly concerning your boss. As you become a valuable problem-solver for your boss, you often become perceived as a team, department, and/or company problem-solver.
  
  
• Do your research. Success with managing your boss involves knowing what you’re talking about. Surprised? Probably not. It is almost impossible to effectively manage your boss without having credibility. The only way to develop credibility is to have a good knowledge base and be prepared to have the right answers when asked by your boss. When appropriate, you can also interject answers to questions before they are asked. To be prepared, do your research on those issues or potential problems that you believe might appear at your workplace.
  
  
• Present your ideas, answers, and suggestions in a convincing manner. This is important to successful boss management, but it can also be a professional minefield. You should strive to be convincing, confident, and knowledgeable, but never preachy, superior, or overbearing. Until you build strong credibility (see above tips), you must be convincing to persuade your boss to listen seriously. Just be careful not to cross the invisible line of “talking down” to your boss or co-workers, as they typically will “tune you out” – or worse.

As you can see, boss management, while not really possible in a classic definition, is achievable if you follow these tips. As you become more comfortable with these suggestions, you should be more successful. You should begin to notice that your boss is giving you some newfound respect for your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. As you carefully offer ideas and answers, never crossing that invisible, but real, line in the sand, your perceived value to your boss, your team, and your company should increase. Over time, your boss should become your biggest supporter as you demonstrate your ability to be a consistent, helpful resource in the workplace.