How to impress your boss: 5 ways to put yourself first in line for promotions and bonuses
So you want to impress your boss? Who doesn’t? It is kind of important after all. Being “in” with your boss helps you stand out from the crowd – making you more likely to get promoted, get more money or survive redundancy. But you don’t want to suck up to your boss – you don’t want to be that kind of person.
You want to be the kind of person who your boss trusts, believes in and is friendly with. You want to be the first name on your boss’s lips when it comes to handing out promotions, bonuses, or compliments. But impressing your boss is not done after one great task, one project done well, or a good day’s work. It is done by consistently being responsible, reliable and hardworking. It is not a quick fix.
Five ways to impress your boss:
1. Do the things others forget
The devil is in the detail. Putting in the work and doing the tasks others forget about, or don’t want to do, sets you apart from the rest. This does not have to be a big gesture or a petty token, but a mindful task. This could include following up with a client, organising some paper work, or doing some extra research in a new area of business. However do not rub it in the faces of your colleagues and your boss that you did this extra task. You want to be the employee that stands out by being reliable and considerate, not loud and bragging.
2. Be first in and last out
This is an old idea that has stuck around for years; come in before anyone else and be the last to leave the office. And the reason it has stuck around so long? Because it works. Being first in and last out is the easiest and most-effective way to show that you are dedicated, enthusiastic and hard working. I briefly worked for a large UK company before I went off on a project to China. The big boss was always in the office at 7. So were all his team. Standing out for being late is not clever.
3. Make money and add value
Make money for your company and your boss will like you. Simple, isn’t it? Not really. Doing your job well isn’t enough. You need to go beyond this to impress your boss. Find new ways your company can increase revenue and cut costs. This can be anything, from something minor like finding a cheaper stationary supplier, to something more substantial like researching possible new streams of income or other ways to add value to the company. Read your company’s website again and understand your boss’s priorities – he may be interested in politics or pro bono work or getting interesting speakers/writers involved in the company. If you are in a sales or a fee-earning position then, you should consistently outperform your colleagues. It makes you virtually unsackable – unless you are a jerk too.
4. Have ideas (Good ones)
Do you want to be the person your boss goes to first to run an idea by you? To be that person you first need to be the employee with the ideas. But simply having ideas is not enough. They need to be relevant and informed. Do not go marching into your boss’s office every time a new idea pops into your head. Consider it, research it, think how it can be implemented and assess implementation and running costs vs. income and ROI. In other words you need to know the What, the Why and the How?. Then, when you know then answers to all his likely questions, present your idea to your boss. I had a client about ten years ago who said that he wasn’t that bothered about face time or desk time. He just wanted me to give him one big, good surprise a week. It focused my mind and it paid off for him.
5. Know what really winds your boss up and what pleases him
Then avoid the former and make damn sure you do the latter. It’s hardly rocket science – but you would be amazed at how many employees unconsciously keep pushing their boss’s angry button every day. They don’t hang around for long.
I speak a lot about FISO in my career coaching – Fitting In and Standing Out. But there is a time and a place for fitting in and for standing out. Getting them mixed up damages you and your career. Fitting In includes being on time, being appropriately dressed and groomed, being there when the boss expects you to be there and so on. The easy stuff. Standing Out is the key to success – but make sure you stand out for the right reasons – not for having lower sales, higher expenses or being consistently late. Or getting hammered at a company drinks do!