Earn your manager’s respect by being adaptable

Respect from your boss isn’t a given; you have to earn it. Start by understanding what matters to your manager. Pay close attention to his priorities and the pressures he’s under. Next, figure out the best way to communicate with your boss. Does your manager like email, texts, face-to-face conversations? How often does he want to hear from you? Once a week? Once a day? Only when needed? And ask your boss how much detail he wants about your work. Does he prefer you to lead with analysis or your judgment? If there is a mismatch between how you and your boss like to work, have a candid conversation about the reasons for your preference. Discuss the situation openly and decide together how to proceed.

(Adapted from How to Earn Your Manager’s Respect, by Rebecca Knight)

Tell your boss when you’re overworked

How do you talk to your manager about lightening your workload without seeming lazy? Start the conversation by stating your team’s shared objectives and priorities. Doing this ensures that you and your boss are aligned on expectations. Next, explain what’s getting in the way of you accomplishing those goals. For instance: “Now that I manage people, I spend more time planning, which leaves less time for other work.” Be sure to offer ideas to remedy the problem. Perhaps certain tasks could be done quarterly instead of monthly, or maybe you could hire a temp. If your manager is unwilling to budge, consider turning to your colleagues. They may be able to pitch in, at least temporarily.

(Adapted from How to Tell Your Boss You Have Too Much Work, by Rebecca Knight)

Rethink what you want to do vs. what you ‘should’ do

Sometimes other people’s wishes tamp down our true desires for our jobs and careers. But dutifully fulfilling others’ expectations is unlikely to make you happy over the long run. To figure out what you’re truly passionate about, try this experiment:

Identify one specific activity to examine, whether it’s something you’re unhappy with or something you want to grow and develop in.

Take a quick inventory of your personal values and passions. What drives you? What would you love to do if there was nothing in your way?

Compare your passions with the activity you’re examining. Is there any overlap between them? If not, it might be time to make a change — and to redirect where you focus your time and effort.

(Adapted from Free Yourself From What You ‘Should’ Be Doing, by Andy Molinsky)

Don’t settle for having one mentor

We all know that having a mentor is helpful, but it’s not always possible to find that one perfect person. Try a different approach: Create a mentor ‘board of directors’, a group of people to whom you can turn for input. Start by asking yourself, “Where am I headed professionally, and what skills do I need to get there?” Write down the people you know and respect who have those skills — they could be peers, senior leaders or even junior employees. For each person, think through how and when you’ll create time to connect. Could you invite them for a monthly lunch? Call them periodically to check in during your drive home? Arrange to meet up at a conference? For these relationships to endure, they’ll need to be reciprocal, so think about the skills and qualities you bring to the table, too.

(Adapted from Your Career Needs Many Mentors, Not Just One, by Dorie Clark)

Use high standards to motivate employees

Employees constantly watch their leaders to understand what kind of people they are. So one of the most important things leaders can do is to insist on high standards. While low standards lead to low commitment, high standards are energising, even for the most self-motivated employees. But choose your arenas carefully. If you demand perfection in every aspect of performance, you’ll come across as a tyrannical nitpicker. Choose one or two things you want to be known for, such as always being prepared for meetings, insisting on product quality or supporting excellent customer service.

(Adapted from Followers Don’t See Their Leaders as Real People, by Nathan T. Washburn and Benjamin Galvin)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, May 22nd, 2017