What It Takes To Manage The Boss

There is no such thing as a difficult Boss, they can be managed. True that. But we have difficult employees. The difficult staffers get managed on a continuum of tough love through to forced exit, but the easy-going staff manage their bosses. Numerically, we have fewer bosses than we have team members. This makes it easier to figure out bosses faster than bosses can comprehend staff. That quickens our discernment of what bosses are made of and how to navigate one's way around them. But don't forget that bosses have ways and means of gathering and deciphering information at their disposal, so, they are still the boss, make no mistake about that, lest you find yourself a discombobulated pariah. To manage the boss, there are several things one must apply repeatedly until they are one with such practices. 1. The power of professional submission It is as much a sense of duty as it is an act of humility. It is a posture of service and an attitude of gratitude—void of negativity. This gets bosses to entrust their teams with added responsibility for important stuff. Nowhere else does this manifest any clearer than it does in the army. Soldiers and officers stay prepared their entire service life to handle matters of life and death, including putting their own lives on the line. When the orders come for them to go to battle, nothing like: "who will run my side hustle for me"? ever surface because they signed up to serve country first, no matter the consequences. And much as they are toughened and muscular, they remain submissive to authority. It is never the smartest guys per se, that land the coveted promotions, but the most submissive to military culture. In civilian settings, the mindset of professional submission is the single most important factor to having a chance at managing the boss. A submitted mind doubles up as a useful tool in the boss's service but a stubborn mind can be weaponised against the boss. If you make the boss feel threatened, he will not trust you with much, but just enough to justify your salary as he thinks of what to do with you. 2. The ability and willingness to stick to the mission Most people get reminded of what to do. In fact, weekly meetings keep them focused on their tasks for more reasons than their personal drive can aid them to accomplish set tasks. Those who add passion to their jobs stand out from the crowd. They are seldom reminded of what to do. Such traits relax bosses and get them to give you the time and space to work your magic. Over time, the boss listens to what you have to say on pertinent matters and then agree with you. That means you are now managing the boss. 3. The ability to differentiate and protect yourself from the negative spirits As with any situation that gets others to look bad when others shine, many in the shadows are tempted to award any leading light with their highest office honours, a PhD—Pull him/her Down, and served cold by the Dean of the faculty of the office's negative spirits. To shine, you must manage these unhelpful forces. Build alliances around people who matter above and below you. When you receive praise, they feel part of that success and will cheer you up. Meanwhile, the bad forces seek to find reasons to pull you down further with every successful turn that you make. This is counterbalanced by an alliance willing to keep you focused on what matters most to you and the organisation, delivery. Building alliances must become second nature if you must maintain an enabling environment to manage the boss, otherwise the negative spirits manage you. I don't have to tell you what to do with negative spirits when the boss lets you up on the saddle. 4. The habit of Acquiring the knowledge and skills that make the difference To manage the boss, you must be on top of your game. In a competitive workplace, staying ahead of the pack is crucial. Professionally, keeping abreast with CPD points is crucial for membership renewals. But you must go beyond the confines of ordinary worker possibilities to be entrusted with managing the boss. Lifelong learning spurs creativity that in turn, triggers innovation. Does the boss see in you the latest and useful version of yourself or the never-changing classic 1969 Peugeot 504 in sparkling condition? You must be well prepared to navigate the challenges of the times by continuously debugging and upgrading your operating software through learning. 5. The ability to empathise with the boss Lest you forget, the boss was once in your position. He/she knows what having a good or bad boss feels like. You must appreciate that it took them time to get to the top. Empathy here means your demonstrated understanding of both working hard and smart. Seek their wise counsel and compare notes as frequently as possible. Be the one in his keyring that opens the safe to access the professional secrets. This positions you to harness emerging opportunities. 6. Be ahead of schedule Nothing hands you the keys to managing your boss better than staying ahead of the curve. A dependable team player gets to enjoy the privilege of managing the boss. Tricks are short-lived and have devastating consequences, so just do things right and ahead of time so that you have time to review your work. Ahead includes being on point with your targets as well. So, when you get the boss to look good within professional bounds, you undoubtedly manage them. They are busy with the other aspects of life too and the last thing that they need is the added job of managing a difficult employee. Spare them that trouble by measuring up. Are you a 6/6? ReplyForward