FSS Newsletter :: September/October 2003

Career Corner

Six Ways to Impress Your Boss

Know your boss's priorities. If your boss is a numbers person, quantify all
your results. And know which numbers matter most to him. All numbers people
have their pet line items. If your boss is a customer-is-first kind of guy,
frame all your results in terms of benefits to customers.

Let's say, though, that you are working on a project that is impossible to frame in
terms of the customer. Then ask yourself why you're working on it for a
customer-oriented boss. It probably isn't a high priority for him, so it
shouldn't be a high priority for you.

Say no. Say yes to the things that matter most to your boss. Say no to
everything else and your boss will appreciate that you are focused on her
needs. Remember that your boss doesn't always know everything you've got on
your plate. So when she asks you to do something that you don't have time
to do, ask your boss about her priorities. Let her know that you want to
make sure you finish what is most important, and this will probably mean
saying no to the lesser projects.

Talk like your boss. If your boss likes e-mail, use it. If your boss
prefers voicemail then phone in your updates. Convey information to your
boss in the way she likes so that she's more likely to retain it. Be aware
of detail thresholds, too. Some people like a lot and some people like
none. A good way to figure out what your boss wants is to watch how she
communicates with you. She's probably doing it the way she likes best.

Toot your own horn. Each time you do something that impacts the company,
let your boss know. Leave a voicemail announcing a project went through.
Send a congratulation e-mail to your team and copy your boss, which not
only draws attention to your project success but also to your leadership
skills. Whatever the mechanism, you need to let your boss know each time
you achieve something she cares about.

Seek new responsibilities. Find important holes in your department before
your boss notices them. Take responsibility for filling those holes and
your boss will appreciate not only your foresight, but also your ability to
do more than your job. (The trick, of course, is to make sure you do not
shirk your official job duties while taking on more.)

Be curious. Remember to make time to read and listen. Then ask questions
when they are not expected. You will make yourself more interesting to be
around, and you will elicit fresh ideas from everyone around you. Your boss
will feel like having you on the team improves everyone's work, even his
own, and that, after all, is your primary job in managing up.