Your boss is a critical part of your everyday life. They have the authority to hire and fire, and they may dictate what work you do throughout the day. Because of this necessary and pivotal relationship, you want to have the best working partnership with your boss. Here are five ways to be the employee any boss would love to have.
Be a team player
No lone wolves here. In order for work to get done smoothly, most workplaces require a team effort. This may be by getting to your work on time so that it can be accessed by other members of your team, or sitting down and collaborating together on a project. No matter how it looks, it is essential to consider yourself a part of the team. Have the whole team’s goals—including your boss’s—in mind. Seek ways that you can help your colleagues out, that doesn’t interfere with you getting your own work done, of course.
Be respectful
You may not agree with every single choice your boss makes. In fact, you don’t have to and probably shouldn’t. However, that doesn’t make you exempt from showing them respect. Being able to give your opinion in a respectful manner will impress your boss. When you are willing to show respect for another person, reciprocally they will more than likely show respect to you. This is also a way to be a leader among your coworkers. If your boss can count on you not to bad-mouth them behind their back, you’ll become a valuable asset to their team.
Be humble
If you’ve done something wrong or you messed up on a project, admit to it! Don’t make feeble excuses. Be willing to explain how you mean to remedy the situation, but fess up to what you did wrong. Being able to take responsibility is a trait that is becoming less and less common. Your boss will appreciate and value an employee that admits their flaws, but also works to fix them.
Be considerate
Did you find out that you’re going to need to take a day off in two weeks? Let your boss know. If they are aware of your need for time away they can plan accordingly. This is a simple way to help them with the amount of stress they have to deal with. Employees who ask for the next day off five minutes before the end of the workday will be on their short-list of annoying people.
Be dependable
Do your work, and do it thoroughly and well. Get to your job on time and be ready to go as soon as you sit down at your desk. Turn your work in on time, and avoid wasting time on social media sites, etc. If you’re dependable, your boss can rely on you. And your boss isn’t going to rely on someone they don’t like. Put in the extra effort that will set you apart from the crowd by being your boss’s rock in the workplace. This will also be a huge bonus to you when promotion time comes.
You don’t have to be a ‘yes man’ (or woman) to get in your boss’s favor. Nor do you have to be the teacher’s pet. Being a person of your word who lives with integrity will do the work for you.