May Busch* says for people who have the perfect boss, there is no need to read this column. For the rest of us: Some useful advice.
I recently came across this Twitter thread on 11 Promises from a Manager it’s essentially a wish list of what you’d want from a boss.
Imagine a boss who meets with you regularly, provides feedback, listens to your concerns, supports your development, and trusts you to do your work.
While it would be fantastic to have a manager like this, for most of us the reality is a little different — maybe even a lot different.
If you’re not blessed with that ‘unicorn’ manager, here are some things you can do.
If your boss cancels meetings
Start by seeing if it happens with others too.
In all likelihood, this is your boss’s normal way of working, or what I think of as their ‘MO’ (modus operandi).
So, don’t read too much into it and don’t take it personally.
They might just have a short attention span.
Like one of our top executives who explained: “if we’re meeting for more than 10 minutes, that means you’re in trouble.”
If your boss doesn’t like scheduled meetings or calls, figure out how they prefer to work.
For example, Mike’s boss hates formal meetings, but is totally open to people stopping by or calling unannounced for a two-minute update.
Mike has learned to master these ‘fly by’ sessions by always having a 30-second sound bite ready.
If your boss doesn’t set an agenda for your meetings
Whether or not your boss sets an agenda, it’s a good idea to have an agenda of your own.
Have a list ready to propose, and make sure you’re focusing on the most important things your boss needs to know or is uniquely able to advise you on.
This way you can also show you’re strategic.
If you want your boss to be prepared, you can send an email with your proposed agenda ahead of time.
If your boss asks to meet with you but doesn’t say why
Uncertainty triggers even the most confident of us to worry about the downside situation.
In my case, when I was asked to meet at the end of the day, I worried the whole afternoon and hardly got anything done, only to learn my boss had put me on a high-profile committee and wanted to let me know.
To avoid this waste of energy, practice not letting uncertainty get to you.
See how you can stay in a trusting state of mind.
Assume your boss has good intentions and that you can handle whatever it is your boss tells or asks you.
Learn to be curious in the face of suspense rather than fearful.
If your boss makes announcements that affect you without telling you first
This is not only frustrating, it also creates resentment and destroys trust.
While it’s hard to change your boss’s habits in the short term, this trust-destroying behaviour will come back to bite them in the long run.
In the meantime, your best strategy is to make sure you attend the meetings where announcements tend to be made so you hear the news.
Then take the initiative to advocate for yourself afterwards, ideally one-on-one.
If your boss doesn’t provide feedback
Get in the habit of asking for it; when you ask, experiment with different approaches.
For example, if a general question like “how am I doing?” leads to a non-answer like “you’re doing great, keep it up” try something more specific.
You can also ask other stakeholders for feedback or feed-forward to get a well-rounded picture of how you can keep improving.
If your boss micromanages and keeps checking on you
Having been a micromanaging boss myself, I find it’s often rooted in a combination of wanting things done perfectly and needing to feel in control.
There are two keys to handling this kind of boss well.
The first is ‘good contracting upfront’.
That means discussing expectations and agreeing the ground rules right at the start.
For example, setting progress milestones, when and how often your boss wants updates, which decisions to elevate and so on.
The second is ‘feeding the machine’.
This means providing information before your boss asks for it.
The more you can be transparent, the more your micromanaging boss will trust you and they’ll be able to turn to someone else and micromanage them instead of you.
If your boss is a gatekeeper between you and senior managers
If your boss won’t let you talk to other senior managers, find another way to get to them.
For one of my group coaching clients, it was through her company’s mentoring program where she could choose a senior mentor.
For a former colleague, it was through her role in the company’s Women’s Network where she handled the speaker series.
If your boss takes credit for your work
This is where you’ll need to get ahead of the curve and let people know what you’re working on before your boss can take credit for it.
For example, if you ask for advice from key stakeholders and mentors about your project, they’ll know you’re working on it — you might also get some useful input.
If you’re lucky enough to have a boss who’s practically perfect in every way, serve them well and strive to be like that yourself.
If you don’t, then know that there are still things you can do to improve your situation.
*May Busch works with smart entrepreneurs and top managements to build their businesses. She can be contacted at [email protected].
This article first appeared at maybusch.com.
