Great Boss and Manager Relationships
Are you working in a company or law firm where managers have a good working relationship with their bosses? Do you have a working relationship with your boss that fits each person’s personality style? Does your company or law firm have boss-manager relationships that are open to honest in the moment feedback?
One of the most powerful questions one can ask is “Does our organizational culture encourage fear-free communication between the boss and managers?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent leaders pay attention to building work relationships where there is no fear of telling the truth to authority.
Do leaders in your organization empower managers to manage upward? Are you a leader who models open communication by creating a workplace culture and climate where employees are fully engaged and happy? Are you able to create a high performance workplace where individuals and teams are excited about realizing the organizations’ vision?
Developing and Managing the Relationship
With a clear grasp of your boss and yourself, you can usually establish a way of working together that fits both of you. Ideally, it will be characterized by unambiguous mutual expectations, which allow both of you to be more productive and beneficial to the organization.
Ultimately, the burden falls upon the manager to learn the boss’s expectations. Working for someone who tends to be vague when expressing expectations can be difficult, but savvy managers always find a way to overcome barriers.
Developing a workable set of mutual expectations also requires you to communicate your own expectations to your boss.
Effective managers recognize that they probably underestimate what their bosses need to know. Managing the flow of information upward is particularly difficult if the boss doesn’t like to hear about problems. Bosses often give off signals they want to hear only good news, but managers must find ways to supply critical information.
Many managers aren’t intentionally dishonest with their bosses, but it’s easy to shade the truth or to minimize issues. Dependability and honesty are crucial to managing the relationship.
Every request a manager makes of the boss uses up the resources of time and energy. Part of managing the relationship wisely is to avoid wasting time on trivial issues.
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become an inspiring leader who knows your own strengths and weaknesses and the needs of your boss. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of your company or law firm.
I am currently accepting new executive coaching and career coaching clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.
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