How to Manage Your Boss

Manage my boss? Doesn’t my boss manage me?
Of course she does. But if you want to get ahead and receive promotions and pay raises, you’ll need to learn how to manage your boss so that both of you will be successful.
Read below for tips on how to properly manage your boss.

  • You, of course, listen to your boss. But we advise that you listen a bit differently than you’re used to: carefully listen to the types of questions she asks. This will help you ascertain the things she cares about. Once you know what priorities she has – really has – you can help anticipate her concerns before they appear and take care of them before she has a chance to ask you to do so. You’ve just become her star employee!
  • In fact, it’s a good idea to actually ask your boss what her goals are for her department and the challenges she has in reaching them. Then make it a priority to help her overcome those challenges so that she can reach her goals. Workers who help supervisors reach their goals often receive promotions and pay raises before other employees.
  • Never go to your boss with a problem or issue without first coming up with a possible solution. This doesn’t mean your will follow your suggestion – that’s not the real point. Offering a solution shows your boss that you have initiative and that you you’re a problem solver.
  • Work to make your supervisor’s job as easy as possible. When your manager gives you an assignment, repeat back to her in a sort of summary the following: the expected deadline, the challenges she expects as well as the desired outcome. This allows her to correct any misunderstandings before you start work, thus helping to ensure that you don’t veer off course.
  • Remember that your supervisor is the one with the final say. If she makes a decision or goes in a direction different than you would, that’s her prerogative. If you suggested a different course of action, don’t take it personally if you feel she ignored your advice. She probably has more information on the situation than you do and it’s her responsibility as manager to make the final decision.

If you’re looking to change jobs (and bosses) in the Anchorage area, contact the recruiters at the Opti Staffing Group. We have “ins” with some of Anchorage’s best employers and we’d love to speak to you about how you may be able to help them meet their goals.

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