The art of managing your boss

When you are the underdog.

HE IS superior to you whether you like it or not, and there're no two ways about it.
Sometimes you may stand in awe of him, sometimes you just may wonder if he is right. At
the end of the day however, your boss is still your boss, and you have to report to him. It is
a ritual. If you look up to your boss and realise that he is placed higher than you probably
because he has better expertise or experience, that is the first move you can make towards
an effective boss management strategy.
Bosses can vary in disposition and temperament. One is the congenial, easy-to-approach
kind of a personality. Another is a rash character who takes it upon himself to command
respect in a peremptory manner. You can also have a midway combination of a boss who is
stern, yet at the same time approachable. A not so formidable a person. If you have the
good fortune of working for such a person you couldn't ask for more.
Steps one can take to maintain a professionally healthy relationship with the boss.
xChange your attitude: Human psyche resents authority. Sometimes this resentment and
conceit may blind you to accepting your faults and shortcomings. Work consciously towards
maintaining a relationship where you can get along well with your boss. Do not harbour the
impression that you are better than him, somehow more capable and enlightened than he
is. Your boss may have better managerial skills and business acumen, even though he may
not be as smart and suave as you are. The fact still remains - you are not above your boss.
Learn to hold him in high esteem, and you may find matters easier to reckon with.
Make him your professional ideal: If your boss is a truly successful person, then there is no
reason why you should'n't look up to him. Your boss is your boss because of the fact that he
is more successful than you are. So never underrate or even worse - demean him. Your
boss would have had to go through the same grind, climb the same rungs as you are doing
now.
xUnderstand his likes, dislikes, temperament and style: The boss's temperament and style
of working should be well understood in order to work compatibly. To function according to
his parameters, find out what your boss is finicky about and make sure you are extra careful
about such issues. Emphasise what your boss thinks is a priority and downplay the rest. If
he is a person who is organized and orderly, he will expect you to be the same. If he is
slipshod, he is probably a person who is more concerned on meeting deadlines. Fit yourself
to your boss' requirements and try to live up to his expectations.
xMaintain communication channels: Make it your duty to keep your boss informed of all
that's happening on the work front. He is accountable to his superiors as much as you are
accountable to him. Maintain a regular reporting system. This will help you recount and also
assess the amount of work you have done. A regular reporting system (especially in a
written form) always comes handy when you have to refer to and verify a certain issue or
put together a monthly report later. Understand and appreciate the pressures your boss
may be facing and learn to be supportive.
xBe honest: There is no substitute for hard work and once your boss knows that you are
reliable and dependable you have won his heart. If you are dishonest, chances are you will

not be considered for responsible jobs and promotions. If you have bungled up,
acknowledge it and move on.
xDon't shirk responsibility: However hard pressed you may be, make sure you keep up your
word and deliver the goods as promised. You may have to work overtime to achieve this so
make good use of your time and resources. If you want to get ahead in life push your self
further. Making excuses or procrastinating will get you nowhere. Don't shirk responsibilities,
instead treat them as challenges.
xDon't take on something you know nothing about: You will surely land in trouble if you say
you know things which actually you do not. There's nothing wrong in saying, I don't know.
You can always learn. If your boss comes to know of your inability, you will not only be
embarrassed but may even be ticked off for your incompetence.
If the boss is a tyrant: When your boss is a hard taskmaster you may have to face the
music everyday. A rocky professional relationship can be stressful and telling on your
nerves. If your boss is rash and demanding you just have to learn to live with it. If he tries
to bully or bulldoze you too much you can talk it out with your HR manager. From acrid
remarks to belittling brush- asides, it can be difficult to grin-and-bear-it everytime. This too
at a time when you may not even have the option of quitting. Learn to take it easy and
don't overreact, because that's no solution.
xMaintain a good rapport: Treat your boss as a friend when you meet at social gatherings
and try not to be stand-offish. Appreciate your boss whenever you get a chance to, and see
that it's genuine praise and not flattery. Bosses can detect flattery from afar.
Don't talk ill about your boss in his absence: If you take to bad-mouthing your boss and
shouting your mouth off on what a cruel person he is, it will not be appreciated in the long
run. If you are impeccable at your work, you can pass a comment or two, but if your work is
not up to the mark, then you have no right to talk ill about your superior.
The better half?: When your boss is the other half of the relationship, you have to work
towards maintaining a good rapport because you will gain from it in the long run. If there is
a problem with the others in the office, it is your boss who will bail you out. Also remember
that all promotions and pay-raises are a direct result of your boss' recommendations. So,
learn to keep your boss in good humour and help him in appreciating you better.