Bloomsbury Publishing - Manage your Boss: How to Build a Great Working Relationship

Manage your boss

How to build a great workingrelationship

A & C Black London

Revised edition first published in Great Britain 2010
This electronic edition published 2010 by A & C Black Publishers Ltd

A & C Black Publishers Ltd, 36 Soho Square, London W1D 3QY
www.acblack.com

Copyright A & C Black Publishers Ltd, 2007, 2010

First edition 2007 A & C Black Publishers Ltd

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Print ISBN: 9-781-4081-2804-62
Electronic ISBN: 9-781-4081-3412-2

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Contents

Answer the questions and work out your score,then read the guidance points.

How do you feel about asking your boss for help?

a) Confident that Ill get what I want

b) Confident that theyll listen

c) Worried that Ill seem like a failure

How do you feel about delegating upwards?

a) Not a problem!

b) Sometimes its unavoidable

c) Its not really my place

How well do you and your boss communicate?

a) We clash fairly regularly!

b) Very well

c) We dont really get each other

How do you react to criticism?

a) I hate being criticised

b) I welcome itas long as its constructive!

c) I find it disheartening

To what extent do you feel you can influence your bosss actions?

a) Totally b) Sometimes c) Not at all

How would you describe your network at work?

a) I make sure I know all the right people

b) I have a network of trusted colleagues

c) I dont tend to network; I dont have time for chatting

To what extent do you feel that your boss is working with you to further your career?

a) Not muchits not in his or her interests to do so

b) We develop my skills and build my experience together

c) I didnt know bosses were supposed to do that!

How well do you think your boss stands up for you in appraisals and salary reviews?

a) I make sure they know what I want them to say

b) Wellits important for the team that I am happy!

c) Not as well as they could do if I spoke to them more about my ambitions

How would you deal with a problem with a colleague?

a) Forcefullythey are being unprofessional

b) I may mention it to my boss if nothing comes of my attempts

c) I wouldnt

a = 1, b = 2, c =

Now add up your scores.

913: You know what you want, but have quite an aggressive way of asking for it. See Chapter for tips on communicating assertively, without being aggressive. If you have a problem with personality clashes, Chapter should help you to reach a mutual understanding. You dont lack self-belief, but it can come across as arrogance and actually damage, rather than help, your public image. See Chapter for a positive approach to improving your chances of promotion.

1421: You appear to have a balanced relationship with your boss, which is a great step towards a successful career. Of course, though, you will want to become a boss at some point: by following the advice in Chapters , , and you will learn how to command more respect both at home and at work. Chapter will then help you to hone your skills and progress in your career.

2227:You know that you have the skills to progress in your careerthe trouble is, nobody else does, least of all your boss. You should learn to communicate more effectivelyChapters and show you how, while Chapter explains how you can delegate upwards. It might be useful to find yourself a mentor; Chapter explains the best way of going about this.

Your relationship with your boss is one of themost important working relationships you willhave. A positive relationship will mean thatyoure more likely to enjoy your work, staymotivated, and progress in your career. A badrelationship, on the other hand, can destroy yourconfidence and damage your career. This bookshows you how to manage your boss, so you caneach get the best from this crucial relationship.

Part of the challenge of any job is that you have todeal with a wide range of people, some of whommay be easier to work with than others. If yourenaturally shy, or are unsettled by people whoadopt a confrontational approach, you mightfind that you need some help when it comes tomanaging a difficult boss. Or maybe yourapproach is over-assertive, bordering on theaggressive, and you clash with your boss asa result. Learning how to communicateassertivelybut not aggressivelycould be justwhat you need.

Assertiveness is an approach to communicationthat honours your choices as well as those of theperson you are communicating with. Its notabout steamrollering your boss or colleague intosubmissionin fact, its about seeking andexchanging opinions, developing a fullunderstanding of the issues, and negotiating awinwin situation: one that everyone can benefitfrom.

By adopting an assertive stance towards yourboss you are showing that you arent a shrinkingviolet, there to be bulliedand, equally, thatyoure proactive without being aggressive ordemanding. Later chapters will explain differentways of gaining your bosss respect and buildinga great relationship; but adopting an assertiveapproach is the first step towards ensuring thatyou and your boss set out on the right foot.

Step one: Choose the right approach

Becoming assertive is all about making choices that meet your needs and the needs of the situation. Sometimes it is appropriate to be passive: if youre facing a snarling dog, for example, you might not want to provoke an attack by looking for a winwin situation! There may be other occasions when a more bracing approach is the answer. It may feel as though youre being aggressive, but youre actually displaying assertive behaviour, as