The Hindu Business Line : Keep your boss informed, climb ladder

MOST employees don't know what their bosses do in their cabins, but that is an accepted phenomenon, because the top man interacts not with everybody but only with those who report to him. What most bosses may not know is that almost half their employees think they are dumb.

A survey by Talent2, a HR company in Australia, has revealed that 41 per cent of the country's employees say that their bosses have no idea what they really do at work. If you were to dig around here, the number could be higher, so be warned.

The press release by the company titled `Bosses suffer the mushroom syndrome' giving the survey findings also notes that almost six out of 10 employees say "there is no way their boss could do their job." If you are in the dark about the `mushroom syndrome,' know that it happens when you are kept in the dark, and fed with crap. For instance, a paper titled `The Mushroom Syndrome: SARS and Family Medicine' about the deadly disease in Canada, talks of how family physicians were treated like mushrooms during the SARS crisis: "They felt as if they were being kept in the dark and fed manure in terms of information and operated under an umbrella of darkness."

One more number among the findings of Talent2 is that 34 per cent of respondents said their job description was way off the mark; what they did all day was not captured in their job labels. That is why, neutral designations such as manager, vice-president, analyst, technical officer and such are useful appellations for the sheer width these phrases can accommodate.

It is almost axiomatic that since it is the boss who has hired you, it is your duty to let him know what you are doing. John Rawlinson, CEO of Talent2 Recruitment, says: "At some stage your boss is going to have to evaluate your performance, so provide them with information that will inform and impress. Be proactive, problem solve and let the world know about your success stories. Especially your employer."

Easier said than done, you may sigh. But look at the flip side: if you are among the unknown half for the boss, anybody who tom-toms about his work would win vis-à-vis someone who is a silent performer. "Don't assume your boss is aware of what you are doing. If you want recognition, you need to communicate to reap the rewards of your success. It's very easy to take employees, especially efficient employees for granted," is what Talent2 says.

Another survey by the firm that targeted a 100 recruitment professionals has pinpointed the hot jobs for 2004. Here are "the top 10 job types that will really be in demand in 2004": Innovation marketing manager, strategic planners, aged care workers, home care and maintenance workers, health and well-being professionals, customer insight managers, event co-ordinators, security and defence personnel, business development relationship managers and biotechnology personnel. Yet another survey by the firm on "New Year's job resolutions" reveals most respondents wish to spend the year "working on meaningful projects, working for companies with solid values and developing great relationships with those they work for and with."

If that sounded a bit too ambitious, it would be useful to remember that New Year resolutions suffer from a high mortality rate.

SayCheek@hotmail.com

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