Trouble connecting with the boss?

Very nice article.
one must not forget that the boss of ones boss is the client! The customer is the boss of all bosses. So in the long run we all work for someone.

Love this. They are harder skills to learn then you would think because it all seems so logical. Yes, it would be great if your boss recognized you at a fabulous employee (and in a good company that will happen), but how can anyone give you something they don't know you want? Asking or, rather, SUGGESTING what you want is something you have to do if you want to move up in business. You just have to make sure you can layout how it will be beneficial not only to you, but the company, too.

Bosses have a lot to think about so they may simply not have noticed the way you keep the company running like clockwork while they're away...but they will appreciate your suggestion if by giving you a promotion the company would be better off.

My favorite boss is Mike Fhaherty on Spin City

Tell him/her to get out of my way or do it themselves

If you are stuck in your job, start fresh someplace else with your experience and skill. Start someplace new and don't give family & friends your work #, if you screwed up but learned, go someplace new and don't screw up.

If you are permanently stuck and can't change jobs, compartmentalize your work hours, be as productive as possible. Go to your personal life and revel in it, make it worth the hard hours you need to spend at work.

Nice advice assuming an ideal situation. However, the matter is more complicated when one must navigate office politics, personal agendas, desires of others to "one up" each other--especially the often prankish attitudes of targetting the newbies to swamp them with work and blame them for all the problems--especially those that don't quite fit in or who are a little . . .too nerdy in their brown-nosing. Sometimes no matter what you do, there is always someone who will sabotage your efforts to make you look bad to the boss. Although the advice was great and sure to work in the ideal situation, it is way too idealistic for the usual workplace.

Nice story - thanks! So many problems arise out of fundamental communication problems - problems that have easy solutions.

You can't really go wrong with being solution-focused and being able to back-up your claims.

One thing I've noticed is when a group lead seems to be berating me with questions, it's actually an experience where I am witness a very intelligent person gathering and processing information to produce a solution - I just needed a change of perspective to understand where he was coming from. Ride that "solution-focused" wave and a bunch of trust will grow from it.

Best,
Steve

In an ideal environment, the five steps to connecting with your boss could be successful. However, the workplace isn't a perfect environment. The steps do not consider other intangibles. Some employees can't articulate their grievance no matter how organized they may be. Other employees are poor performers so no matter what they request, it will be taken with a grain of salt and dismissed. And, there are always other employees who want you to fail or will be jealous of your intiative. So if you achieve your goal, there will always be someone who will try to undermine you.

I work for the county government so all bets are off on having some type of strategy to impress your boss for future advancement. As a matter of fact, you are better off not showing any exceptional skill, you will just get more to do. Stupid people are given little responsibility and no difficult tasks. They cannot be fired from the government for being stupid.

I have noticed a trend in the workplace that will be the downfall of employment as we know (knew) it. You can read about it in my blog post: http://jimmohr.blogspot.com/2009/10/second-wave-of-repression.html.

Ask your training and development dept to purchase an Everything DiSC Management Assessment for your boss and a Everything DiSC Workplace for you..... have the DiSC provider create the free Comparison Report for you.
http://demo.everythingdisc.com/ This is one of the best assessments used throughout the corporate world to reduce the communication learning curve and minimize communication misunderstandings. It also creates a language for discussion of any workplace topic. See sample reports at developpeople.com or just call us to discuss the use of assessments in your career. A top defense contractor First Line Leader said, "This is like Gold to me" when referencing her DiSC project with her direct reports.

While this article had valuable information, the writing was poor. See #3 above. "Instead, rise above and them to be clear about what they need from you."

All this is true--if you are not working with a paranoid schizophrenic...Too many employees think that if they only did "this or that"--they would better be able to "work with" -aka- "connect with the boss." Where there are major mental issues with any individual whom you work with in an organization, sometimes "dis-connecting" is more helpful. That "dis-connect' does not necessarily mean one should physically leave his job (the economy is not supporting that concept for many people). Sometimes the "disconnect" must be in "mentally" separating your feelings and thought processes from a "Boss" that "lost it" a long time ago; yet, is tolerated by the company. Usually, such a "boss" is the brunt of the jokes of his own colleagues/peers; yet, they are powerless in getting the "odd" ball out of company. My advice: Take frequent "mini- vacations." That makes it easier to survive another week/month at work. Few people need advice on connecting with a "boss" who is reasonably happy on the job and happy with himself as a person.

There are more than one typing errors in this piece... which vastly reduces the credibility you're attempting to convey.

That is total bull - ask? How about an article about a boss who learns how to spot a great, loyal and skilled employee so that we don't have to ask and our potentials are seen and recognized. I don't think I should be telling my boss how great I am and what skills I posess, he or she should recognize them on their own. Isn't that what makes a great boss?

Nice advice. I really like what you said about owning your results and making things happen. I have always thought you can do anything you set your mind to. Nice post!