Want to work on your professional relationship with your boss? Here’s how to show them you’re a trustworthy and hardworking employee and an even better friend.
Just started a brand-new job, or feel like your relationship with your current boss could use some work? Most people tend to keep a distance from their boss. That’s understandable. At first, bosses can seem imposing or threatening. But forging a relationship with your boss comes with countless benefits.
By developing professional relationships with their employees, bosses learn their employees’ strengths and weaknesses. This helps them make decisions that change the workplace for the better. And by developing a professional relationship with your boss, you can improve your chances of advancing in your career. The more your boss knows about you as a person and as an employee, the more they can help you achieve your goals.
But how do you build a professional relationship from the ground up? Read on to learn how to build a better relationship with your boss.
Your Boss Is Human
Your boss is a living, breathing human, just like you. They might seem like lean, mean, working machines, but we promise they aren’t concealing spinning gears or sensors anywhere. Your boss has thoughts, emotions, and a life outside of the workplace.
It’s important to keep your relationship with your boss professional, but it can be hard to form a relationship when all you do is speak business lingo back and forth. Don’t be afraid to ask your boss about their weekend, their hobbies and interests, and even their family. Most bosses are happy to share this information and enjoy the occasional casual conversation with their employees, as long as said conversations don’t impact the flow of the workday.
And don’t be afraid to show your appreciation for your boss! Bosses have an incredibly thankless job, which makes the occasional “thank you” all the more impactful.
Show Your Worth
The next tip on how to build a better relationship with your boss is to show your worth. Needless to say, you’ll have a much harder time forging a positive relationship with your boss if you’re known for being a slacker.
The harder you work, the more likely it is that the boss will know your name and associate it with good things. And as their confidence in you grows, they’ll start to rely on you more often—for feedback, important or time-sensitive projects, and so on.
In many ways, forging a relationship with your boss is simple. Be a diligent, honest worker who always puts their best foot forward.
Be Open
Bosses value open communication. If something goes wrong, they don’t want to hear lies about how everything is fine. They want constructive feedback that points out what the problem is and how to improve for the future.
Providing them with honest but valuable feedback shows them that you’re a creative problem-solver and you care about the company’s success.