The art of managing your boss may sound like some subversive corporate political undertaking. However, I assure you it's not, if done properly; your boss will thank you. Managing your boss can be the ultimate win-win scenario for your career and organization. Most workers view the corporate chain of command as a psychological hierarchy written in stone. The chain of command clearly dictates, who reports to whom.
In order to break out of this psychological bondage, one must consider why they would want to manage his or her boss. The benefits of managing boss is numerous, one of the chief reasons would be because you are the expert at what you do, not your boss and you have the best vantage point of what should be done either in your department or with your position.
A number of companies have readjusted its hierarchy to a flat system, meaning they are trying to give more authority in a linear perspective to empower more employees to become more effective at getting things done. The desired effect of going flat is to reduce the time lost at going through a typical corporate chain of command. These companies understand that where an individual is positioned within an organization hierarchy is of less importance than what the person knows.
This brings me to my initial point of managing your boss. Conventional wisdom tells us to be a good leader we must first become a good follower. Accepting this hypothesis as being true, the first place to start is managing you. A self-analysis should consist of a personal strengths and weakness of your management skills. Some personal questions to ask for self-assessment are:
1. Can you verbally and visually show enthusiasm for most duties in your department?
2. Are you able to focus your attention on department goals in lieu of your own personal goals?
3. Are you committed to lifelong learning? If so, how many books have your read, seminars attended, or classes taken in the last six months?
4. How do you respond to rapid unorganized change?
5. Can you train and develop individuals to perform effective tasks?
6. Can you arbitrate disputes amicably between parties that are equally passionate about their positions?
7. Can you look at the grand view of the company rather than just your small piece of the pie?
Self-assessment is just the initial step; since most of us view the world through our own kaleidoscope. The importance to have others, preferably not friends to answer these questions about you becomes paramount. The ideal situation is to involve at least six different individuals who are impartial towards you as a manager or personal friend. In the event you are unable to locate at least six impartial people, use friends or teammates. Using friends or teammates pay particular attention to the answers. Any responses that are not a consensus on a particular question is probably a good indication of an area that needs to be addressed by you.
Equipped with the skill set necessary to manage your boss; you should have a through understanding of what motivates your boss and why. As strange as this may sound; all bosses are not motivated by the bottom-line. I can hear the rumblings now that I don’t know your boss; understand that each boss is responsible for a certain set of objectives or goals if you will; this is not necessarily their primary motivation. Some bosses do it for the recognition, ego, money, prestige, and many other reasons. The germane fact here is that you should be aware why your boss does things, so you can appeal to his or her primary needs. When you understand what makes the boss tick then you can direct him or her to the most effective problem solution that is inline with your own core beliefs.
Start with small things first and as your skills and confidence grow so will your ability to influence your boss. Before long you will not be only working with your boss but having your boss work for you.
Mack Chapman MBA is an entrepreneur, consultant, noted public speaker, and works for a major private university. He has a passion for inspiring and challenging organizations and individuals reach their full potential by creating an environment of success through collaboration and team work. Mr. Chapman can be reached at mchapman@mypherox.com |
