7 Ways to Get on Your Manager#8217;s Good Side

7 Ways to Get on Your Manager8217s Good Side 7 Ways to Get on Your Manager8217s Good Side Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers Have a question youd like to ask? Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in the next installment of Recruiter QATodays Question Maybe you just started a new role at a new company and you want to make a good impression, or maybe you feel like your manager doesnt have a great opinion of you and youre looking to change that. Whatever the circumstances, were looking for your best advice on how employees can impress their managers and get into their good graces1. Be TransparentWhether you are trying to make a positive first impression on your new manager or hoping to improve an existing relationship, getting on someones good side always depends upon a foundation of transparency and trust.Being transparent about both the challenges you are facing and the successes you are enjoying is critical. Miscommunications often occur when managers arent aware of the work their colleagues are carrying out. Keeping your manager in the loop could be as simple as holding a weekly meeting or forwarding kudos you received from a client. If you arent aya what form or frequency of communication your manager prefers, ask them they will thank you. Like all relationships, a good relationship with your manager relies on mutual trust you trusting that your manager has your best interests in mind, and your manager trusting that you have your teams best interests in mind. If you feel as though that circle of trust is broken, have a diplomatic discussion about what needs to be improved and what can be changed. - Tim Gates, Adecco Staffing USA 2. Dont Go Above and Beyond YetIf youre starting a new role, it can be tempting to try to go above and beyond right away in order to impress your boss and show initiative. But theres a chance you might anticipate your managers needs incorrect ly and end up hurting yourself in the long run. Instead, in your first few weeks, I think its important to follow this rule Give them what they want, so that you can give them what they need.In other words, execute everything youre asked to do impeccably well. Blow every assignment out of the water. Your manager will see you not just as someone whos competent, but as someone they can trust to get the job done. Then you can have a conversation about how you can contribute mora strategically and impactfully you can share new ideas you have for the company or department, new ways of doing things, interesting projects youd like to work on. Youve already created that cornerstone of trust with your manager. They know youre competent, and theyll be much more open to your ideas than they would be if you came out with guns blazing on day one. - Ian Cluroe, Alexander Mann Solutions 3. Remember You Work for Your Supervisor, Not Your CompanyEmployees need to understand that they work for thei r supervisors, not their companies. Rarely is the company aware of who you are or what you do. If youre more interested in helping your supervisor look good than making yourself look good, you will see the support from your supervisor grow. You should be more preoccupied with your supervisors status than your own. - Damon J. Smith, Souletics 4. Understand Your Managers Communication PreferencesUltimately, it comes down to understanding your managers communication preferences, knowing their quality standards, and maintaining alignment with their expectations. If any one of those are out of line, employees will be scrambling to make up ground and rescue their reputations. A few things you need to know about your manager in order to stay aligned with their preferences include- How frequently do they like to be updated on project progress (e.g., along the way or only at key milestones)? - In what way(s) do they like to be updated (e.g., email, casual conversation, formal Gantt chart , etc.)?- What is their primary motivation in their job (i.e., what will help them succeed)?- How does your manager evaluate and determine success (i.e., what do they value most)? - Addam Marcotte, FMG Leading 5. Cast a Broad NetEveryone is different, but by casting a broad net of approaches, you can easily win a manager over. There are three approaches I like to attempt when meeting a new manager. The first is to prove my worth. Take on a project and knock it out of the park. This will set the bar for work expectations moving forward. Managers like coworkers who can make their lives easier by producing solid work. The second is showing that you are flexible. When working with a new manager, you should brainstorm multiple ways to complete a project and ask which style they prefer. This shows not only that you have a diverse skill set, but also that you are not too proud to bend to their preferences. The third is connecting on a personal level. If a manager wears their favorite spor ts teams shirt, give them a dig about how their team lost this past weekend even if its subtle and by email. No matter what the style, we all like to talk about ourselves. Get the manager to open up in a non-overbearing manner by keeping it genuine.- Greg Kuchcik, Zeeto 6. Show Your Manager That You Fit With the TeamWhen I started my new position at WebTek, I really wanted to make a good impression to let my boss know he did the right thing by hiring me. I have a great work ethic, so I felt that would be the best way to impress him. I quickly discovered that hard work was not the only thing he was looking for. It was important to him that I fit in with the other team members. I worked hard at getting to know everyone and made it seem like I was always a part of the team. This not only made me look good to the boss, but also helped the others accept me. - Mary Eileen Graczyk, WebTek 7. Tackle Problems Head-OnWhen people come into a new role at a new company, they have an outsiders perspective. That makes it easier for them to recognize flaws in the way things are done. This is true for every new employee however, the way a new hire reacts to these flaws will fall into one of a few categories - They keep silent. - They complain to coworkers but dont share thoughts with their manager.- They share their opinions with their manager without offering solutions. - They come to the manager with solutions to the problem and are prepared to own that effort. By far the fourth category is the most effective and impressive thing to see from a new hire. I want people that are prepared to tackle problems head-on not just complain about them. - Courtney Cox, Research Now