As you know, your relationship with your boss could impact your career progression. Your boss evaluates your work and determines how high you will climb the corporate ladder. Fostering a good relationship with your boss and meeting his expectations from a performance standpoint will positively affect your overall experience in the workplace.
Focus on Building Trust
In a Spherion study, 84 percent of workers rated their relationship with their boss as good, great or excellent. For the fraction of people who do not have a solid relationship with their boss, typically one of the main factors is trust. Work relationships are founded on trust and open communication.
A critical part of building trust is following through on your commitments. If you cannot get something done on time, tell your boss right away. When you make a mistake, fess up. Trying to ignore your mistakes will only hurt your relationship with your manager. In addition, it increases your stress level in the workplace and that stress may negatively affect future performance.
Watch and Learn
Every workplace has a different company culture. Within the workplace, each boss has different expectations. When you first start at your new job, watch your boss and other employees closely. It is critical to understand the corporate culture. Asking intelligent questions can show your interest in adapting to the company culture.
Focus on the Good
One problem in building a good relationship with your boss could be your boss. While they might be a talented manager, that quality does not make them a good person. It is easy to focus on their negative qualities, but this will only hurt your relationship. Try to focus on their good traits instead of the bad. It will make it easier for you to respect your boss and build a relationship.
Ask for Feedback
To put it simply, bosses like employees who make their work life easier. To make sure that you are the best employee possible, ask your boss for feedback. People naturally feel gratified and honored to be asked for advice. Plus, this gives your boss an opportunity to redirect potential issues before they become a major problem. It helps you grow as a professional and continue to have an open dialogue.
Read Your Boss’s Mood
Timing is everything. If your boss is in a bad mood, the last thing you should do is ask for a raise. To work effectively with your boss, you have to understand his or her mood. When he is preoccupied, you should hold off on discussing a new idea or proposal. If he is in a positive mindset, you can approach him about that raise or new idea.
Show Initiative
Being a boss is stressful. You have numerous projects, people and objectives to manage. If you want your boss to like you, reduce their stress. Show initiative in proactively taking on tasks. If you do things before your boss asks you, you will instantly gain their respect and open yourself up to new and exciting opportunities.