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It's 8.15 a.m. The office is quiet. There are only a few of your colleagues in, typing softly, sleepily on their keyboards, checking their emails drowsily, sipping their coffee serenely. Music is playing softly in the background. It's Wednesday morning, mid-week, not so bad as the weekend is approaching by.
Suddenly, a door slams. Your heart skips a beat as you check where the noise came from and see, to your horror, your boss's sullen face. Your heart starts thumping faster, and your head starts swelling like a stuffed mushroom as your inbox gets flooded with mails...and demands.
It's not unusual to have an unhappy boss in the mornings. In the economy we're living in these days, it is only natural and very reasonable for bosses not to be able to put on a happy face all the time knowing they have to face the many burdens and stress upon their shoulders. Of course, the responsibility to maintain their company productive despite some layoffs and hiring freezes is not one to be dealt with lightly. It's your job, then, to try and change your boss's sullen mood to a lighter one.
Muovo would like to share with you HRcareers' listing of 5 ways that could help you make your boss happy:
1. Be a go-getter. You’re good at following orders? Good for you. However, when dealing with a stressed and overburdened boss, it’s even better to taken some actions without them. This is done by anticipating your supervisor’s needs and fulfill them. Identify company problems and find solutions. Speak up in meetings when no one else will. Put in extra hours when no one else can. Your boss will appreciate not having to babysit your progress or productivity.
2. Ask for more. Bosses love employees who are willing to step up and take on more than required: ask for more work (if you can handle it) or increased responsibility. You’ll prove your worth and become someone he or she can count on in a pinch. It might even lead to a nice salary increase or promotion down the line.
3. Perform to the new standards. What does your boss need most from his or her employees right now? Ask, and then make sure you deliver well. If he really needs people to put in overtime, do it. If she places the most value on employees who keep a positive attitude, maintain one. Showing up on time and going through the motions may be enough to keep you from being fired, but it is usually not enough to make your boss truly happy.
4. Adapt your style. Everyone has a preferred communication style. Identify your supervisor’s style and adapt your own to it. If her office is right down the hall but she always sends emails, don’t pop in to ask a question. If he always responds to emails by stopping by your office, start stopping by his. If she frequently asks for hard copies of emailed reports, start printing them. If he frequently asks what you’re working on, keep him informed.
5. Be happy. Just as unhappy bosses beget unhappy employees, happy employees can generate happy bosses. So be happy while you work (and if you’re not, fake it). Leave family, relationship and money troubles at home. Don’t complain about your workload, your compensation or your coworkers. Don’t demand constant praise or attention. Do your job (and more if possible), do it well and do it cheerfully.
The next time your boss is unhappy, don’t dwell on how his or her mood affects you. Instead, implement the above suggestions and consider what else you can do to alleviate the stress or fear that is likely at the root of the problem.
2 comments:
This might sound very plausible to you, but your employer may not be as eager about your ideas as you are. He or she will, of course, seek to minimize costs while increasing productivity. This being said though, the employer and the employee do not have to be paper writing service at loggerheads, with one of the parties wanting more for less while the other wants to give less and get more.
This is a great post. Yes, it will be different in each office but you list some great principles. I feel like there could be a post like this but for "How to keep your employees happy" I think that would be the perfect post to follow this!
Gena F | Vantaggio HR
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