Several years ago I felt my rapport with my boss slipping. It had been a challenging period and our relationship felt strained and distant. In a moment of insight, I reached out to a former boss who I knew was good at managing up — she had had several promotions and always seemed to know how to manage up. What I learned from taking her advice was a game changer.
She told me to meet with my boss, to reaffirm my commitment and to share what I really appreciated about her leadership. Not what she wanted to hear, but what I could truly say from my heart. That felt hard at the time. We were, after all, coming off a bad patch. But I did what she said and what happened next I will never forget. I saw about 20 pounds of tension drop from my boss’s shoulders.
Bosses are stressed by normal doubt and struggle, just like everyone else. It may seem obvious to some, but it wan’t to me. I always thought that my boss knew everything! Once I began treating her like a human being with strengths and blind spots, things felt so much lighter. We got back on track and were able to do great things.
Coming soon…the results of last week’s survey and an announcement for the upcoming webinar. Stay tuned!
Claire