4 Psychological Keys To Gaining The Trust Of A Boss
When I worked in the office environment, I went from getting along badly with my boss to being recognized by her as a very good member of her team. Along the way, I felt disheartened. It was like walking through fog. I didn’t know where to go, or what to do exactly.
Reflecting on what took me from a fragile and vulnerable point to one of work and personal confidence , I came to the conclusion that the key was to effectively support my boss. I wanted to support her since I joined the organization, but I did not do it effectively; I didn’t even know how to do it. Universities do not give us that knowledge… and that is a problem.
Do you have a boss who is too demanding? Have you wondered how you can earn their trust?
Many times, conflicts within an organization do not arise due to a lack of skills on the part of employees and subordinates in general, but rather due to a failure in communication and an environment of mistrust. Here you can see some tips to gain the trust of bosses.
1. Listen carefully to their instructions
This is something very obvious, but every time I leave my house, I realize how little people listen carefully. Many times, the belief that you already know the type of instructions you are going to receive makes us disconnect and stop paying attention to what we are told and such a simple mistake can cause serious errors.
When your boss gives you an indication, stop everything you are doing and concentrate on what he is explaining to you. If you can, take out a notebook, he takes notes.
Practice active listening with your boss. The ability to listen is one of those that distinguishes a true leader from others.
2. Ask questions without any shame
One day when I stayed up very late finishing something pending, a colleague with a lot of experience approached me and said: “Whenever you have a question, ask it. To me, your boss or whoever. Remember that there are no stupid questions, there are only fools who don’t ask.”
That colleague illuminated my life, I was very grateful for his advice, because when I joined the organization, I was kind of afraid to ask questions , especially because I am very inquisitive. I like to have very clear objectives before getting down to work.
You too, take that advice from my partner and don’t be ashamed to ask! Clarify the details that are not clear from the beginning with your boss and you will see that his trust in you will gradually increase, because he will see you as someone who does care about his work.
3. Keep him informed of your progress or lack thereof
I remember that in those days, we had to report something to my boss. Not pleasant news: we had once again been late on a delivery date.
Those things happen a lot in the Software development industry. They often set very unrealistic delivery dates. Anyway, my colleague was afraid for my boss’s reaction and told me:
– If I tell him. I stood up from my chair to go and inform him and my partner stopped me:
– Are you going to go right now?
– Yes, the longer we wait the worse it will be.
I went to tell him things as honestly as I could. Of course I was embarrassed and nervous, but at the end of the day, I knew I had to do it because it was critical to the project.
My boss’s reaction was of course one of annoyance, but after telling me that she would not accept another delay in an imperative tone, she thanked me for telling her. My companion asked me somewhat fearfully:
– What did he say?
– What you had to tell me, there will be no more extension. We have to finish it right now.
One of your best allies to gain the trust of your boss is tell you transparently both the good and the bad Don’t make assumptions about “what your boss wants to hear,” just tell him what it is. Communicate with courage and honesty the good and the bad without fear of reprisals.
There aren’t that many people willing to tell the truth in this world, don’t you think? For a boss that is highly valued.
4. Seek to satisfy your expectations
Entrepreneurs have only one way to survive: satisfy the needs of their customers.
If you work in an office environment and are not used to entrepreneurship, you could do the following: think that your boss is the most important client of your “business”.
If that were the case, you would do whatever was necessary to satisfy their requirements. Imagining that you are an entrepreneur or business owner, it will be easier to understand how important it is to deliver adequate work from your boss’s perspective. That is the most important.
You can put a lot of effort into the wrong job. Maintain constant communication with your direct boss, follow up on his instructions and never expect him to approach you to give you approval.
You might even have to ask him if you’re doing it right Don’t wait for him to give you feedback, because most of them are so busy, they won’t even be able to take the time to tell you where you’re going wrong. Be the one to ask: “I would like you to tell me, according to your opinion, how can I improve?”
This will be an indication that you really care about wanting to satisfy the requirements asked of you, not just about “looking good to him.” He listens very patiently to his constructive criticism without interrupting him.
In light of these tips: what other advice would you give to someone who is starting their professional career to gain the trust of their boss? I would love to read and respond to your comments.
