At one point or another I have felt the need to impress my boss. Here is why:

  • Really looked up to my boss and wanted her/his approval
  • Wanted a promotion and my boss could help me get there
  • Wanted to always be in the good books so I can ask for favours in return
  • Just need peoples’ approval of my work

Here are 5 ways I found help impress your boss

1. Don’t be high maintenance 

Bosses have enough on their plate. They are ultimately responsible for all of their employees and their work. Being low maintenance frees up time for them to focus on what is important and makes them more efficient at what they do. Every boss likes a low maintenance person on their team.

2. Performance is King

This is an obvious one but worth mentioning. Every boss values high performers and sometimes performance trumps low maintenance. If you can pair up both, you have a winning formula

3. Don’t be a kiss-ass

Bosses can see through brown-nosers. They are annoying. Although low maintenance is important, when asked, you want to provide positive but honest feedback. Telling your boss what they want to hear might work for a while, until they get caught with their pants down because of an important piece of information you decided to withhold in order to tell your boss what they wanted to hear.

4. Focus on solutions and be positive

Most of the time bosses are aware of what the problems are. Focus on solutions rather than causes. Don’t use circumstances as excuses for poor or mediocre performance. Always think solutions.

5. Take responsibility

Own all of your performance, good and bad. Bosses like when you take responsibility because it gives them hope. Blaming circumstances or others, means that you cannot identify your contribution to the problem, therefore you will not be able to come up with a solution. Taking responsibility helps you build trust and show strong character.

 

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