Nearly everybody in the business world has a boss.
So there are a lot of people out there trying to make great impressions and move up the ladder of success.
But only so many succeed. Why do some make it look so easy, while others seem to never get over the hump?
The truth is, it’s really pretty simple, if you practice these 10 actions:
Be on time. Nothing, I mean nothing, is more penalizing than being habitually late. There is a lot of truth to the saying “90% of success is showing up” – that is, provided it isn’t after the appointed hour.
Keep your promises, and over deliver too. This is like mom and apple pie, I know, but getting the boss to trust you explicitly is absolutely critical. You need to be counted on when the pressure is on.
Display common courtesy, especially by returning phone calls & E-mail. In this day and age, doing this consistently actually makes you stick out. Those Thank yous and I’m sorrys add up in the “who’s a better person for the promotion” derby.
Show quiet confidence, and take “can’t” out of your vocabulary. A little positivity goes a long way out there – and you will rarely get an outright impossible task, and even if you do there’s probably an alternative to suggest. Let the boss be the person to make the “can’t do” call.
Use the language appropriately – both verbally and in your writing. Bad grammar and spelling is right up there with punctuality as promotion killers. Proof read your stuff – and use spellcheck. It all matters!
Disagree and challenge respectfully. You can disagree with the boss, or even say “no”. Just be prepared to back it up, with a statesman-like flair. But if the play is called and it goes against you, despite your feelings you need to move on, and execute. There’s no pouting in the conference room.
Get the big picture, then figure things out on your own. Bosses hate it when they have to explain a task in great detail to someone-top promotion candidates show their meddle by minimizing supervisor explanation time and filling in the blanks themselves
Tell the boss your ambition. Yes, you can do this – why not tell your boss what you want (respectfully, of course)? This falls under the all-too-true saying “if you don’t ask you don’t get”.
Audition for your future role by being a thought leader. This is especially effective in crisis situations when the boss may be tied up with multiple issues. Take a little initiative and help out with other teammates, offer to “offload” some of the bosses work, or make suggestions in team meetings.
Focus on the task at hand like a laser beam. I know it’s really hard these days to put down the Blackberry or stay away from E-mail, Twitter or Facebook, especially on conference calls, but when the boss is talking, stay focused. You can easily derail any career momentum by being MIA when called upon, nose down in your last Tweet about the movie you saw last night.
One final suggestion – post these tips somewhere where you can see them every day, and eventually memorize them. Then practice, practice, practice. You’ll find yourself in the executive suite in no time!
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That nails it. As long as your boss is as interested in you as you are in your job, this is a winning recipe – it may even make your boss more interested in you.
Bosses, if you haven an employee like this, pay attention to them, because they can work anywhere they want – even for themselves.
Really great article Terry. I like all 10 points very much and agree that if more bosses were this straightforward, there’d be no meltdown in the economy.
What would I add? Stay tuned for my addition tomorrow posted on Slacker Manager.
Nice one, Terry. As I read the list I noticed how many items were simple courtesy and character items. I would add one. You can put it under your “language” heading. The language you use in private and with your friends may not be appropriate with your boss or with customers.
Thanks Jesse, Phil and Wally for your comments!
Yes Jesse, some people can work pretty well for themselves.
Phil, thanks for adding to this conversation on Slacker Manager.
Wally, you are absolutely correct on that one – you need to think before you speak in front of the boss.
Thanks again, and all the best to all of you!
Terry
Terry,
You’re right, these are important. One of my pet peeves is people not returning my emails or calls. I always email something when I read it and return all calls when I get the message *unless I need to do some research first – nine out of ten times I at least buzz back to say I need time to answer your question).
I’m copying these as you suggested….
Thanks
Hi Jack, thanks for your comment! Your point about at least “buzzing back” is a good one. We don’t always have an answer at our fingertips, but we should at least acknowledge we’re “on it”. Thanks again, and all the best!
Terry
Great advice also for students wanting to impress their professors!
These are great tips and you are spot on about being on time. It doesn’t matter how long you stay back late at work; if you are late in the morning, your boss will always assume you are not putting in your 100%.