The Hindu Business Line : Catch the boss's eye

You nurse the conviction that you are a genius, and a hardworking, competent and near-perfect employee. But how do you get your boss to realise that he/she has an absolute gem on hand, and also spot you in a sea of humanity? How do you avoid getting buried under an avalanche of backbreaking and gut-wrenching work while watching someone else get all the credit?

Employee surveys have shown that employees quit bosses, not companies. So, how do you build a rapport with your boss? What are the pitfalls in this delicate relationship? In short, just how do you impress? Canvas spoke to some executives and HR managers.

Says V. Narayanan, HR manager in a software company, "Ensure that your boss is always successful. Show him/her in good light. That is fundamental."

One must pay attention to the little nuances — the professional idiosyncrasies of the bosses, and learn to handle them. "For some bosses, formatting the work is important. For others, presentations are important. They may give one or the other undue importance. Just learn to work with it or circumvent it."

Sometimes, he adds, success is just a question of good chemistry. However, he emphasises even the most professional of bosses would expect you to contribute to their success. "Never forget to give the boss a feeling of superiority and never disregard his/her place in the hierarchy. If the boss sees you as a threat, then things will get hot for you. Remember, the brightest idea has to come from the boss," he says.

But what about the ideal image of a boss as someone who encourages diverse opinions and wants you to express them boldly? Narayanan gives a knowing laugh and says, "Despite what everyone says about encouraging dissent, at the core, most bosses just want `yes men'. Anybody who questions the boss's idea is disliked."

A parting thought from him: "Every boss is a mixture of strengths and weaknesses. Learn to focus on the strengths. Very often we tend to do the opposite."

S. Thiagarajan, HR Manager in a financial services company, sets a professorial tone: "Any boss-subordinate relationship is a combination of culture and performance. In fact, it is 70 per cent culture and just 30 per cent performance. At the initial stage, there is often a misunderstanding about cultural issues."

What exactly does this mean? "In our company, we follow a strict eight-hour schedule every day. I have to show up punctually at 8.30 a.m.. In my previous job too, I worked the same number of hours per week — but never with the same regimen. On one day, it would be 14 hours, on another it would be just four hours, and then back to 10 the next day," he says.

Thiagarajan also recalls that in his previous job he delayed replying to queries from the HR department at company headquarters. But in his current job, he has learnt that a mail from HQ must be given top priority in order to maintain good relations with his boss. In fact, not to do so would be souring his relationship with his boss. It took him just a few days to realise that the old methods would not be welcome in his new company.

He advises: "Do whatever it takes to endear yourself to your boss. First, give him/her a feeling of certainty — that you are here to stay and perform." That sounds straight out of a management manual. Even as one wonders whether we would settle into clichés, he surprises you with this observation: "Very few bosses are comfortable with very good subordinates. They prefer you to exhibit a bit of mediocrity. Do a little extra — but not too much."

He adds, "Tell your bosses what you learn from them. They feel like `Gurus'. Give them that comfort." Also, "keep a safe distance. That is true for both boss and staff. If you get too close, the expectations increase on both sides." Here's one more piece of practical advice: "Never buy the same car that your boss drives! They don't take kindly to it." He draws a parallel with the scene at government offices — "you can't have a bigger table than your boss."

Referring to the emerging trend of "remote working", he says, "Earlier the boss-subordinate relationship was one-to-one. With the kind of projects companies take up today, you may not see your boss for 2-3 years. In the IT sector, the client usually takes over. In some cases, the client assumes more importance than one's boss. Moreover, if your boss is in the US or elsewhere, it can be difficult to make him/her understand the realities under which you operate."

E. Balaji, Executive Director, Staffing Solutions, Ma Foi Management Consultants, says there is nothing standard about the boss-subordinate relationship. But employees should strive to achieve some degree of alignment with the boss — especially with regard to values and work style. "Your boss is basically a reader or a listener. (You communicate either through a mail or over the phone) Knowing which type he/she belongs to will probably be the most decisive factor in your relationship."

Sarada Jagan, President - HR, Chemplast Sanmar, points out that the top management sometimes faces the danger of "cloning" while recruiting for executive positions. They tend to look for people with similar backgrounds and strengths. The company might lose out on talent because of this approach, she says.

However, she doesn't agree that bosses want to be surrounded only by `yes men'. One should always remember that Bosses have their own emotions and problems, she points out. "Just as they accept you with your weaknesses, you have to learn to do the same." You have to sell them your ideas, like you would with a customer. There has to be `give and take' on both sides, she adds.

Referring to boss-subordinate clashes she draws a parallel with the joint family system. "It boils down to people management. You may not agree with everything your parents/ grandparents say. Yet, you try to convince them on what you want, listen to them every now and then, and sometimes do just what you want."

Subordinates should create a mutuality of interests — they must make an effort to build a relationship with their bosses. "If you are taking 10 items to the boss, be prepared to take `no' for three or four of them. You just have to `let go' sometimes. Don't fight on the non-essentials. This is something I have learned in my career, although it took a while!

"The ability to get along with people (boss, peers or subordinates) is one of the key skills, especially valuable as you go higher up in the organisation. You have to learn to read people and manage them."

She emphasises the need for an espirit de corps (team spirit). "There is no place for individual giants now. What organisations need are high performing teams. More than being a boss, one has to be a leader, and carry along a team."

As for the subordinate, she says firmly, "You need to get along. If you behave badly, you'll be dropped. The organisation may put up with you temporarily to buy peace. But it won't for long."

Her tip: "Air your frustrations, sometimes to those who have learned to manage their bosses better. They will have some tips on handling the situation. Don't carry forward grievances. They just cascade into bigger problems later."

Finally, how do women fare as employees and as bosses? Sarada answers with clinical candour, "Women bosses need to make a transition from aggression to assertiveness. Initially, a woman manager assumes that in a man's world, aggression is the only way to get things done. So working with a woman boss in the initial stage can be tough. I daresay some of those who worked with me in the initial stages would have found me a very difficult boss. But I have learned that you needn't be that way. One can be assertive and get things done. We need to convey that we are fair to everyone and that the job needs to be done."

Picture by Shaju John

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