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Our college blog dedicated to helping students prepare for life outside of college.
It's one of the most difficult lessons to learn, especially for younger workers - how to handle your relationship with your boss.
As one article points out, there are several behaviors to make sure you are performing up to the standards of your superiors. Some of those include improving your communications skills, anticipating your boss' needs and learning their pet peeves.
These are all important factors in entering into a healthy and productive relationship with your managers. But in order to incorporate these behaviors into how you work with your superiors, you may need to evaluate some of your personality traits that may have change while at work.
I have experienced many personalities of workers, and not all of them are easy to work with, or manage. So here are the three traits that I believe are the most detrimental to one's career. Consider this...are you:
- Rebellious against authority? You know the type. These folks have always found ways to do the opposite of what they are told, or hate taking direction from others. If you fit into the category, you come off as condescending or combative in your dealings with your boss. So swallow your pride and temper your attitude.
- The doormat? Some workers think that they only way to woo their boss is to be constantly available for their every whim. But this can backfire. If you are only there to perform your boss' scut work, then you will never be seen as anyone more than a "doer" or underling. So help out when your boss needs it, but make sure you balance it with stepping up to the next level.
- Flying under the radar? These are the workers who perform their job just well enough to get by. Clients don't complain about them, colleagues are indifferent to their presence in the office, and managers don't seem to be concerned about what they are up to. If you fall into this category, it can be a dangerous area to be. For one, you will probably never be considered for promotions, because your talents don't shine through. Your name may also come up if there are cuts backs or layoffs.
Now, if your personality aligns with one of the three above you need to be conscious of it and then keep it in check. Don't be afraid to ask co-workers who have a good relationship with their boss how they do it, especially if you have the same one.
Remember, the best way to get ahead is to develop a good working relationship with your boss. Not only will it make your day-to-day work life easier, but you should eventually be able to turn this rapport into a mentor-mentee relationship as well. Good luck!
Posted by Steve Wajda on August 5, 2008 at 10:06 AM
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