10 Ideas to Keep Your Boss Satisfied (if not happy)
Written by Jerry Roberts. Follow me on Twitter.
Attitude, Communication, Leadership, Motivation, Success, The Boss Series

Got a tough boss? Maybe one who is cold or even mean? Are you frustrated and thinking of giving up? Here are 10 ideas for improving the relationship with your supervisor.
As far as the order of these ideas, after you’ve got the first three figured out you can approach the rest as necessary.
So here we go, 10 ideas to keep your boss satisfied.
1. Focus on your work
This is the old schoolers’ “nose to the grindstone” mentality. Tell your cube neighbors and outside friends that you need to pound out a project and you won’t be hanging with them for awhile. Minimize interruptions. If you’re used to a steady stream of calls, chats, and texting during your work day, run on silent mode and only answer messages during breaks. Turn off Twitter. You get the idea.
2. Keep the boss updated
If you’re not connecting well with your boss it’s probably best to avoid a lot of direct interaction until either the quality of your work helps smooth things out, or you can figure out the problem. One way to handle this is to provide the supervisor with regular updates on your work. If she knows you’re working hard and progressing, then it’s likely she won’t need face time to check up on you.
If you hate documenting your work or believe it’s just micromanaging, consider that it’s actually an official invitation to show that you’re on top of your game — and it doesn’t look like bragging. In any case, some levels of accountability will affect almost all of us. It’s best to just go with it and see the process as an opportunity, not an imposition.
Ask the boss what her preferred method of communication is. Some may want e-mail, instant message, text message, update on the organization’s project management software, or even a brief voicemail.
There are potential benefits here. If there are two equally talented people who have performed equally well, yet one is to be selected for a promotion, the determining factors may come down to things like organization and accountability.
3. Work on your likability
If you do your job AND people like you — including the boss — you’re in pretty good shape to keep your position in a time of downsizing, or to be promoted. It’s a fact of life. Grab a copy of Tim Sanders’ The Likability Factor, Dale Carnegie’s classic, How To Win Friends and Influence People, or The Bible.
I’ve seen nice people chosen over more talented jerks when tough decisions have had to be made.
4. Avoid office politics
This doesn’t need much explanation. You know what it is. Stay clear of it. If the boss is already on your case or is unsure of the value of your contribution to the team, how can politicking help you?
5. Arrive early and leave late
This is basic human nature and isn’t original with me. If the boss walks in the office and you’re already in and working; then leaves the office and sees that you’re still there and working — what is her likely perception of you? Maybe that you’re a worker?
You don’t have to toil 16 hours a day to impress your supervisor. Just get in the office before her and leave after she calls it a day. If the boss is a workaholic and has no life outside of the job, you may have to rethink this. Fortunately, this isn’t the case all that often.
6. Collaborate
Show that you can work in teams and seek partners for your projects. Effective teams are good for the organization, you can informally improve skills by observing others, and it’s tougher for the boss to beat up individuals in a team environment. Not impossible, just tougher.
Gaining good team experience also builds relationships, both inside and outside of the organization. Some of this can add to your level of “fire insurance.”
7. Get your work known
Depending on the severity of the relationship problems you may have with the boss, expanding your internal network and letting people in on your successes can only help. One way is that it draws positive attention to the department — and your supervisor — and this scores a few major points all the way around.
If the relationship isn’t good and you think the manager is looking for a reason to fire you, it’ll be harder if the rest of the organization is buzzing about your work.
8. Mentor others
If you can output all of your work and still have time left over, helping others says a lot of good things about you. You might have a unique skill and can teach it to the entire department. If it’s on the leading edge and in an area the company is moving toward, you could wind up training the entire organization.
The impact of this in terms of boosting your stock with management (if not your boss then her bosses) is incalculable.
Even if your mentoring is limited to one person, it’s still of significant value and shows dedication to the larger picture.
9. Take on a job nobody else wants
All organizations have a task or project that everybody avoids. It also could be a job that has long been overdue but nobody has time to tackle. It shouldn’t take you long to figure out what these “orphan” projects are in your workplace. Usually, there are many of them. A good source of this information are key admin workers.
If your goal is to make an impression on your immediate boss, ask her first.
Tip: Asking the admins who work for the senior executives will get you a list of jobs and projects that their bosses may feel are more important than others.
Your choice now is to take on a relatively simple job you can do well and turn around quickly, then find another; or to grab ownership of a serious “orphan” project that will take more time and effort, but when successfully completed will have your name on everybody’s tongue.
Note: Find a way to leave your personal imprint on any project you take on. While the most important thing is to get the job done and move on, adding style or innovation can’t hurt. If people can say, “That is soooo Mary,” you’re on the right track. But keep in mind, substance is usually more important than style. Don’t let the desire to be cute get in the way of the actual work.
10. Get regular feedback from your supervisor
Good or bad, I want to know what my boss thinks of my performance so I can improve. Most managers should provide feedback on a consistent basis, but don’t. You may have to force the issue, but it’s not complicated. Request a short meeting to talk.
At the meeting tell your manager that you’re looking to advance your skills in a certain area, and that you’d like her help. Would she be willing to spend five minutes a week with you to discuss your progress? I’ve never heard of anyone being denied this little bit of extra attention.
One note of caution: if you follow this path, make sure you listen to the advice of your supervisor and make an honest effort to implement it. If what she suggests doesn’t work, document the details and report back so she can evaluate further and make other recommendations.
This is an extraordinarily powerful strategy when done correctly, as you’re essentially making your boss a partner in your progress.
The next time we visit the topic of how to influence your boss we’ll discuss those “little things” that can become large, and have an impact on your image and reputation in the workplace.
Got something to add here? I’m interested in how you would expand this list.

If you like this post please consider subscribing to our RSS/Email feed (on the menu bar) or following us on Twitter.





One Comment
Susan Mazza
How about relating to your boss like a partner? Your boss can be an incredible supporter of your growth and advancement. We sometimes forget we can be the same for our bosses. Too many people relate to the boss like a parental figure or even the “enemy” in the case of a particularly tough boss. Think like your bosses partner and you are bound to come up with all sorts of ideas.
Personally I think the whole boss-subordinate relationship needs a major overhaul!
Leave a reply