If you’re trying to get ahead at work, one of the key people you need to impress is your boss. Your boss is the person in the best position to improve your work life, as they are the person in control of your daily workload and assignments as well as the one to give a recommendation or referral if you are trying to move into a new position or get promoted. Following are 5 top-rated, proven methods for impressing your boss.
1. Save the Company Money
Obvious, right? It should be! However, many employees get so caught up in their own project budget or bottom line that they don’t think to SHARE their time or money-saving methods, whether their own process or with a third party such as CosPro Marketing that specializes in an area, with their boss or other departments. As long as their own department looks good, they don’t think or care about the other departments. Or, they count on other departments looking bad to make their own look better. But, by sharing your ideas of how to increase profits or cut costs, you make yourself look good while showing that you’re concerned with the bigger picture and the company’s bottom line – things that upper management is concerned with.
2. Work Smarter
Working hard is not enough – it’s better to work smarter, not harder. A hard worker will stay late or stay up half the night to complete a project. A smart worker will make sure that they have the proper support the help complete the task on time (delegate) or find a way to do it in half the time (new process). No matter how hard you work, if there’s someone doing exactly what you do except faster and with less drama, they’ll grab the limelight every time. Also, consider this – a promotion or a leadership of a new project are both ways the company gives you more responsibility. If you’re not handling what you have on your plate currently, how do you expect to be given more responsibility? If you work on increasing efficiency in your job and your department and SHARE those new methods, you’ll be the first name they think of when the time comes for a more important project.
3. Attitude
Attitude matters. Don’t just master the basics of your position, make yourself available for extra duties and volunteer for special projects whenever possible. You don’t want to become a dumping ground for thankless tasks, but you do want to show that you have mastered your current position and are capable of performing at a higher level. Fortune favors the bold! As long as you’re on top of all of your current duties, step out of your box and take on a new task that’s valuable to the company. Go the extra mile, volunteer to help teammates, pick up extra responsibilities, and find ways to leverage new tools to become more efficient. Let your boss know what you’re working on. They may take the task away from you, but they won’t forget your vision. Attitude is key to impressing your manager – the best employees are professional, consistent “thought leaders” with a desire to contribute to the success of the business.
4. Problem Solve
Don’t just hand your problems over to your boss. If it’s not something that you can handle on your own, take a few minutes before reporting the issue and come up with some possible solutions to offer with it. Make sure that what you suggest contributes to the organization attaining its overall goals. Even if your boss decides to handle the problem differently, it will still show that you are a problem solver and thinking of the big picture. Any employee who can solve problems on their own is a truly valuable asset and will always impress the boss.
5. Take Credit
As mentioned already, SHARE your ideas, solutions, and new processes. Business is not the place for false modesty. If you don’t tell your boss of your success, how will they know? You may think that your boss is paying attention to every little thing that you do. However, they have their own responsibilities and are usually just concerned with your results. Managers rely on their team to bring key things to their attention. So when something goes exceptionally well, let your boss know. There’s no shame in highlighting your accomplishments…just remember to give credit to all involved and not annoy your boss with minor things. (You don’t want to appear desperate.) A monthly email of your achievements should suffice. Remember, the goal is to be seen as a savvy worker, problem-solver and team player who is aware of the company’s goals and the bottom line. Anything promoting that image should be shared.
Conclusion
Overall, it is a good strategy for your career to work on impressing your boss. In the short-term, your boss will begin to see you as someone who has potential and is looking to move forward within the company. And, in the long run, a former boss can prove to be a valuable career resource once you have moved on. Follow these proven, effective methods to realize a rewarding, satisfying career.
