Career Advice: This Boss Likes It, That Boss Hates It.

Hey Guys,

Here are a few tips on how to deal with every kind of boss, whether its a boss you currently have or one you may encounter at a future job!

No matter how much you like or dislike your boss you probably TRY to please your boss – or bosses. Most companies have a hierarchy structure so that we are responsible for reporting to one or two people and those people are responsible for reporting to another set up people. In every job, the bosses are different – they have different styles, different processes, and like to see things done in different ways. It can get quite confusing and at times frustrating.

It’s important to learn the power of preference at your job. Just because one boss wants to see something one way, doesn’t mean the other is necessarily going to agree. For example, if you are scheduling a meeting, one boss might want an outlook invitation and another might want you to add it directly to his/her calendar. One boss might prefer that you update them via email and another may prefer to get updated via in-person meetings. Unfortunately, most bosses don’t provide guidelines on exactly how they want receive information and communicate.

The best thing for you to do is always ask questions, never assume anything. Never assume that two executives want information delivered the same way. When given an assignment, ask how that person wants to receive that assignment and how you are to communicate when the job is completed. This will help the communication process but it will not entirely fix the problem. Another tip, is to make clear notes and keep a file, whenever an executive sends you their preferences. Remember, knowing their preferences is power.

Have YOU ever had a boss you really disliked!?