Are You Adept at Managing Your Manager? 3 Must Do's

Most of you are aware that your relationship with your supervisor is critical to happiness at work. After all, your manager controls access to resources and can dramatically influence how others see you. And if you manage the relationship well, it’s often seen as an indication of your potential for growth within the company.

At a minimum it’s important that you understand three things.

• First, you need to understand your manager’s personality and how it meshes—or doesn’t—with your own. You may have to adapt your style to ensure a smooth working relationship. This doesn’t mean you’re being inauthentic. Skillful leaders are expert at building bonds with others by adapting their style.
• Second, understand how your manager deals with pressure. This will help you decide when to make suggestions and when to keep quiet. Stay plugged into the office grapevine so you can offer support when your manager needs it. It may be tempting to discuss your manager’s shortcomings with others. Don’t do it. It reflects poorly on you and your professionalism, regardless of what’s happening with your manager. Defending your boss is your own best defense.
• Third, understand how to best present your viewpoint. You’re paid to add value and your manager needs the benefit of your thinking. How you present it can be the difference between a good relationship and a bad one. Remember that your manager’s priorities take precedence, as does the way they like to see information presented. So pick your time and place wisely, present your thinking in the style they prefer (e.g., some managers prefer casual conversation while others like formal presentations), and be prepared to back up your point of view with objective facts and figures.

Once you nail these three areas—an understanding of your manager’s personality, style of dealing with pressure, and how they like to receive input—you have a strong foundation upon which to build a mutually beneficial relationship.

What would you add to the list?

 About Us:

 Amanda Mitchell and her team at Our Corporate Life help companies address workplace dysfunction, politics, and bureaucracy. How? By working one-on-one with senior executives to increase leadership skills and working with teams to improve management processes. This results in solutions that stick.