Managing Up: Adapting Your Working Style to Your Boss’s
Shortcut # 44
Learn the working style that appeals to your boss. It is tough to change others but you can adapt your own style. If your boss is a detail-oriented person, provide written reports and lots of background information. If your boss is a people person, she may prefer person-to-person communication over e-mail. If she is informal, drop-by meetings may work better than structured appointments. Learn your boss’s needs and adapt.
There will be times when you’ll need to be a chameleon in order to save a relationship with a boss. Early in my career, I had a control freak boss who made me crazy. She had a high need for detail and information – the opposite of my needs. It got my back up and, in turn, I pressed her hot buttons. Our relationship eventually began to deteriorate. Luckily, I was given some great advice: I needed to focus on what I could control, and change my style. When I acknowledged my boss’s need for more information and started to share more, she let go and we got back on track.
Want more career shortcuts, get them here.
Hitting Stryde: A Gen Y Survival Guide with 100 Shortcuts. It’s a must read for: 
- Managers with new graduates reporting to them
- New grads wanting to ace their early career
- Parents assisting their university aged kids transition successfully into the working world
STRYDE offers 11 interactive presentations for your new graduates and young leaders from how to work effectively with your Boomer boss to how to communicate effectively across generations.
Check out STRYDE’s unique corporate offerings
