Your ultimate career success as a leader depends on how well you build relationships with the people around you, and that most definitely includes your boss. Usually on this blog, we discuss relationships with employees, but today and for the next few posts, I want to switch it up a little; I want to talk about what you’re doing to build a solid relationship with your boss.
Here’s one thought — keep the boss informed. The worst thing is for the boss to hear “it” from someone else, particularly if it’s unpleasant information. Make it a habit to update the boss regularly, perhaps a coffee conversation every few days, or a quick email summary once a week. If it’s bad news, don’t put it off. Bad news is like bad food, the longer it sits the worse it tastes. Take a deep breath and get on with it.
Sometimes people say: What if it’s too much? What if the boss just isn’t interested? What’s kinda cool about being forthcoming is that the boss will tell you if it isn’t wanted or needed. But the act of making the effort is what counts.
So what are your ideas? I have a few more upcoming in the next couple of blog posts, but I’d love to hear what you consciously and deliberately do to build and maintain a good relationship with your direct manager. Please share!