How to Impress Your Boss: Part 1

Let’s be frank, the phrase “how to impress your boss” may sound self-serving,  and it is. However, beyond that, it’s also about creating value and being seen  as valuable. The goal is to rely solely on yourself for your promote-ability and  marketability, not your boss or anyone else. It is rooted in the recognition  that for every one of us there is someone out there who has an impact on our  ability to influence, grow, develop and move up in an organization. While also  developing a customer base that generates growth, stability and potentially,  wealth. Because of this, gaining and maintaining trust, credibility and respect  in your job is essential to your professional well-being. That’s what being a  superstar employee is all about.  (This is part 1 of a three article series.)

Studies have shown that employee engagement and loyalty scores are nearly at  all time lows. For the past few years, primarily because of recession-induced  high unemployment rates, most people have felt just lucky to have a job. Because  of this, employees have been willing to put up with very difficult working  environments and at times, ridiculous expectations from their organizations.  Employees may put up with these conditions for a while however, many find the  line that represents the quality and quantity of work that they must do to keep  their jobs and do only that. In other words, they save their best “stuff” for  themselves. That’s the nature of engagement, we can expend the reservoir of  effort, commitment, ownership, and excellence on behalf of our employer, or we  can quietly hold on to it and do what’s required to meet the basic requirements  of the job.

We see a number of issues in our consulting work, the ones who drive all  bosses and companies crazy are the ones who:

• Want and expect to do the “gravy” part of the job, but don’t want to do the rest. They typically want the jobs that generate the most “positive press” both literally and figuratively.
• Want the most comfortable aspect of the job, but don’t want to do the “dirty work” or the parts of it that are done where it’s hot, cold, dirty, smelly, early morning or late afternoon, etc.
• Don’t want to do the “crap work.” Someone has to take care of the nastiest parts of any job and, these people find ways to avoid them. This includes complex, tedious, hard work with heavy lifting or significant risk (physically, politically, etc.)
• Complain all the time.
• Don’t learn how to do different details that are essential parts of a completed job well done.
• Come in late and/or leave early.
• Abuse personal or sick time.
• Bother colleagues to get help with things that they haven’t bothered to learn how to do.
• Brown-nose, suck up, bad mouth others, take credit for work that others have done, instigate or contribute to the negative rumor mill.
• Lie to colleagues or to their supervisor/superior.
• Refuse to work with others, or expect others to carry their weight.
• Refuse to change, grow, improve, cooperate, take initiative, think, and step outside of the expectations they’ve built into their perception of their job.

The first step in this process is to distinguish yourself from the masses.  There is a lot of room to emerge with peers like the ones we just described.  Setting yourself apart is easier than it sounds due to many employees’  tendencies to do just enough to get by in the workplace. Start your improvement  journey by eliminating any of the poor habits above, and then continue with the  next two parts on this subject. Just remember “Superstars  breakthrough!”

Also, do you want more success in life? See this complimentary guide and assessment on habits of successful people: Success Practices Assessment and Guidebook.

In addition, go here for our RealTime Learning & Training leadership and personal development website. Over 130 micro-learning and career advancement resources at your fingertips!

Finally, do you want to accelerate your leadership success? Go here for Rick’s Superstar Leadership eBook.