Here’s how you can stay in good books of your boss

Just hard work and the right skills are not the only ingredients to help a professional climb the ladder of success.

The key to success also involves smart work and getting recognised for the successful execution of your official duties.

Here are a few tips that would help an employee to subtly remind his manager that he is a valuable team member and in turn, a great employee.

The first step towards creating a healthy professional rapport with your manager is by keeping him or her updated with all the work you are doing. Depending upon your project or target, make sure you let him know the exact status of your work from time to time (daily, weekly or bi-weekly). You don’t need to pester your senior by bragging about what all you have done. All you need is regular conversations about the work you are doing that would remind him you are working hard and you always keep him on your mind.

Whether it is achieving your targets, completing the project before the deadline, sending an important email or making a presentation for a meeting, it is really important that you complete the task you have committed to. Needless to say, your boss will surely see you as a responsible and reliable employee, and start counting you as one of the most dependable members of the team.

Well, a proactive employee helps to make the manager’s work easier and always remains in his good books for the obvious reason. Don’t just stick to your KRA (Key Responsibility Area) or start browsing social media the moment you are done with your work. Use your spare time to contribute to assignments and tasks that you might not be directly involved in or simply ask your senior for more work. Look for ways on how the work can be done more efficiently, come up with new and innovative ideas and try to contribute in day to day decision-making. It would also help to improve your knowledge level and hone your leadership skills

To err is human and we all make mistakes in our work. But rather than making excuses or hiding anything, own up your mistake like a mature professional. Talk about how you could have done it a different manner, where you went wrong and ensure it won’t be repeated. There is no senior who does not appreciate an honest, dedicated and hardworking employee.

Cribbing about work in front of your manager is one of the worst mistakes that can dent your growth in the organisation. You might be overburdened with work but complaining about it won’t help. Instead, hold a logical conversation with your manager and talk about all the work you are doing. Try to come up with an alternate solution rather than only stating the problem. If you have a solution-oriented approach to every hurdle, your senior would be more willing to help you to navigate your way out of it.

From maintaining office hours, reaching office on time, not taking long and frequent breaks almost every day, avoiding unnecessary gossip to staying cordial with other employees, these are some basic etiquettes of the professional world that seniors always value in an employee. They may not specifically speak up and appreciate you but they surely notice how you behave and conduct yourself during office hours.

You cannot expect your manager to know all the progress you have made in the recent past or what hurdles you overcame to achieve your target. Therefore, it is not a bad idea to blow your own trumpet at times and talk about your achievements while you are having a candid discussion with him. Again, subtly highlighting your good performance would only remind your boss that you are a diligent and focused employee. It’s a win-win situation.