Have you ever dealt with an unempathetic leader at work? It can be difficult to work with a manager who doesn’t understand their employees. They may be less than willing to allow employees time to spend with their families or understand how a death in the family or sick relative might affect employee work performance. This can result in a tense work atmosphere. However, there are a few things you can do to cope. (more…)
Let’s face it: emails are a big part of work. It’s how businesses communicate workflows, schedule important meetings, and make announcements. How much time do you spend a day managing your inbox? Did you know that the average office worker sends or receives 121 emails per day? As communication evolves, proper email etiquette as a professional can go a long way. Here are five email management tips to help you communicate more effectively at work. (more…)
There are 7.7 billion people in the world. Each one of them with their own values, culture, hopes and dreams. And some of those 7.7 billion people are bosses, each one of them different and unique.
And unique isn’t always a good thing.
Some bosses just aren’t that great. They come to work late, yell at employees, and everyone wonders how they got their position. They prioritize their own needs above those of the group, causing bad blood and major conflict.
Get Your Dream Position with These Quick Tips
Getting a promotion isn’t easy. There are only so many upper level positions, and competition is fierce. It’s important to be ready when those openings arise.
How? By being prepared. Earning the right to ask for a promotion isn’t a question of tenure or age—it’s a byproduct of knowing not only the inner workings of your own job, but also those of the company you work for and the position you want.
Here are four secrets to getting a promotion.
Know What You Want
Management isn’t for everyone. Before you ask for a promotion, ask yourself if being a leader is what you want. Do you desire the position for the title and accolades or because you truly want to manage and inspire others? If it’s just for financial reasons, consider asking for a raise instead. You may also want to consider applying for a position in another department, depending on your interests.
Management isn’t easy. Leadership can seem fun, but there are numerous responsibilities that come with such status, including handling billing and budgets, managing deadlines, and dealing with unhappy or sick employees. And that’s only a partial list!
Speak with Leadership
Once you’ve been at the company for some time and have earned your stripes with proven performance and knowledge of the company, talk to your manager. Let them know you’re out to achieve a promotion if the opportunity arises. Come with proven examples of your ability to rally, push, and inspire others, as well as metrics regarding your own performance.
Find a mentor at your company who can push you to succeed and speak candidly about areas in which you need improvement. Not every leadership experience is going to be a great one. A mentor can help you realize what went wrong and what you can do in the future to minimize those problems. Leaders don’t want novices in management roles; they promote those with demonstrated performance.
Be Prepared
A management position could open at any time. Therefore, preparation is key. A promotion isn’t something you get because you’ve been working at the company a certain amount of time. You only get the job if you’re the right fit at the right time.
Watch those who hold positions that may be attainable in the not so distant future. Unless your department expands, these are most likely your only options. Although you don’t want to be a direct copy of the individual currently in the position, make sure you exemplify the qualities of the role. Do your research! If they started working 15 years ago, you’ll need to know everything they learned in those 15 years.
Seek out team leader roles in projects and take initiative to show you can lead a team. This also gives you time to discover your own leadership style, and how to handle appropriate conversations with others in your team.
Apply
At the end of the day, you have to make your case. That means waiting for an opening or proving there is currently a need for a new management position. If you aren’t up to creating your own role (with detailed metrics regarding why that role needs to exist), you must wait.
If the leadership role is open to everyone, you’ll be able to apply. If it’s only open to a select few, you’ll have to hope your prior discussion with leadership will cause them to notice you as a great candidate.
Have you ever gotten a promotion? How did you achieve it? Let us know in the comments below!
And what does that mean for you, as an employee?
Throughout our lives, we’ve all worked for a variety of bosses. Some are compassionate and inspire us to excel in a number of ways. Others are independent leaders who have a tendency to be more assertive.
Daniel Goleman, of the Harvard Business School Press, outlines six basic boss types, illustrated below in an infographic by the Quid Corner, an online financial resource center. Although we all have our own ideal management type, the graphic also outlines the optimal ways to get along with each type of boss. So even if your manager isn’t naturally compatible with you, you’ll have some idea of how best to get along with them.
When you’re with someone at least 40 hours a week at work, it can make life a lot easier if you like being around that person. And that’s especially true if that someone is your manager. Depending on how well your interests and personalities match up, though, liking your boss may not be easy or come naturally. But, it’s not impossible. Just try to follow the ABC’s.
Accept who your boss is.
Bond over a similar interest.
Communicate regularly so you understand your boss’ communication style.
Decide to have a positive attitude about your boss.
Empathize with your boss.
Focus on your boss’ strengths.
Guard against gossiping about your boss.
Hear what your boss is truly trying to say.
Identify areas of the relationship you can improve on.
Join with your boss for a common cause.
Keep trying – don’t give up.
Laugh together.
Meet on a regular basis to discuss projects and goals.
Notice when your boss does something right.
Offer to help your boss with a big project.
Prevent miscommunications or hurt feelings from getting out of hand.
Quit making your boss the bad guy.
Recognize when your boss is trying to improve.
Steer clear of things you know you disagree on.
Talk with your boss about their professional and personal goals.
Understand what drives your boss.
Visit with your boss if there is an open-door policy.
Walk a mile in your boss’ shoes.
eXtend your boss grace when there’s a mistake.
Yield your need to always be right.
Zap your negative attitude.
What bit of advice do you have for building a positive relationship with your boss? Let us know in the comments section below.
Sometimes we can’t help it. While we may not be the office Pinocchio, spouting lies while our noses get increasingly bigger. There may be times in our career we are tempted to stretch and bend the truth in little ways just enough to stay out of the hot seat with our boss.
This kind of dishonesty doesn’t come from bad, self-serving, or malicious motivations. It often stems from the desire to please others, even if it’s at our own expense. In the long run, these little lies, while made with good intentions, can not only interfere with your best interest, but also you co-workers’ and managements’ interest as well.
Sometimes lying can be so easy, we may not even realize we’re doing it until it’s too late. Here are some basic lies we tell our bosses and solutions in how we could better handle the situation.
No Questions Here
Remember that rush of excitement after receiving that first big solo assignment? There is also that sinking feeling when the instructions or guidance didn’t make any sense. The boss asked if there were any questions, but nobody wants to be that person who doesn’t understand what’s going on, so no questions were asked.
The problem is that if we have questions, we will need the answers in order to do the job right. If you are worried about sounding unintelligent, preface the questions with, “I just want to be certain I completely understand everything.” It’s better to clarify and do a great job than to appear competent and not meet expectations.
I’m on it
Sometimes it can be a normal workday with a full work load, then the boss walks in to ask one more favor or task to take care of that day. Instead of being honest with how much work that request adds to your work load, a whole hearted, “I’d be happy to” is heard with a giant grin.
The manager expects those who make promises to keep their word. If a new assignment interferes with other job duties, ask the supervisor which tasks have the highest priorities so the most important tasks are completed first. The boss may have just forgotten how much work is on each employee’s plate and can find someone with a lighter load.
Everything is Going According to Plan
For a while, this may be true. Project timelines and scheduled events may be perfectly on task, but life will always get in the way of even the most perfect of plans. It happens to the hardest of workers, but nobody wants to appear behind schedule. That’s why most workers who fall behind on their duties will wipe their forehead and say, “Everything is fine!” when the boss asks how the project is coming along.
Juggling multiple projects might not seem like a big deal as long as everything is finished by the deadline, but lying about the status leaves no room to act should something go wrong before then. There might be a moment when input from the boss is needed before proceeding with a project, but the lie could have kept any questions from being asked since the manager was told that the specific part had already been completed. It’s just better to be honest with a sincere, “I’m working on it.”
Little white lies may seem innocent and are often told with the best of intentions, but they can come back in the long run and disrupt the workplace before anyone realizes it. Honesty is always the best policies and managers are more forgiving when mistakes come from sincerity. What are some of the other big lies told to bosses that come back to wreak havoc on the workplace?
