Having a good relationship with your boss can be the best thing about your job, regardless of your industry. Having a bad relationship with your boss can ruin your dream job on a daily basis. So what can you do to make sure that everything is all good between the two of you?

Read the following five tips for some tried and true methods to keeping that relationship where it’s healthy and productive for both of you – teach your boss about your job and share your skill sets with him or her, pay very close attention to office politics at all times, always act for group benefit instead of trying to just improve your own situation, learn your boss’s skill set whenever possible, and if you ever have any complaints or issues, keep them at a low level.

Teach Your Boss About Your Job

It may seem counterintuitive, but you can develop a better relationship with your boss by teaching him. By moving knowledge transfer upward, you’re actually making your boss more useful to you and improving your connection, because if you act as though he is your apprentice, then there will be an implicit understanding of what each of you have to offer.

Be Very Aware of Office Politics               

Office politics are a big part of office relationships. It isn’t enough for you to just do your job, state your case, and go home. There are interpersonal relationships, feelings, emotions, and ulterior motives in some cases when it comes to office decisions. Watch for office politics and find out where you belong in the mix, and don’t do anything that would make the people in charge of you angry at your actions.

Act for Group Benefit Instead of Personal Benefit

Your boss can tell if you’re working for yourself or for the benefit of the entire company. It may be a subtle difference, but when it comes down to it, he or she is always going to favor the people who want group progress as opposed to personal progress. Be on the right side of that equation.

Learn What Your Boss Does                                 

If you’re teaching your boss for the purpose of knowledge transfer, you also want to learn from him or her as well. You want to be able to take over their job if they were to suddenly leave. It might be that you have to read some books, or do some managerial training on your own, but having that skill set will make you upwardly mobile.

Keep Any Complaints or Issues on the Lowest Level Possible

One great way to ruin a relationship is by complaining about something over somebody’s head. Just don’t do it. Keep communication between you and the boss whenever possible.

Categories: General