Understanding Boss Psychology

It is a fact that people lose jobs most often because they have not been successful in satisfying the demands of their boss. They lose out because of faulty boss relations; because they lack an understanding of " boss psychology." Of course I do not mean here to suggest that the reader needs to turn into a psychologist in order to be able to deal with his/her boss, but to understand both the motives and personal traits that drive bosses behaviors and attitudes.

By working "with" your boss you can become free to move ahead and not become lost in the the great unknown depths of the business world. Work becomes more pleasant and you become more productive. You gain more satisfaction because you are able to record more achievements. It all becomes possible by using one of your greatest assets - your boss.

Here are few tips to help you plan ahead how to make yourself indispensable to your boss as part of his team; how to eliminate unnecessary daily conflicts that consumes your energy in unproductive activities:

First - you need to change your concept of being a "boss" as well as being "bossed." These are different roles that can be enjoyed "if" well played. It requires understanding on the part of both the boss and the subordinate that one role cannot be effectively played without the other role being deli gently played to comp element the other. That are demands for each role, and these demands can only be completed if integration of the other role is accomplished. It is then, a give and take relationship that need to be sustained if we want to create an attractive, motivating work environment.

Second - Avoid hostility, harshness, and friction with your boss. Difference in personalities will sure cause some frictions, but these should not be taken personally. They need to be interpreted against the situation that created them. If we believe that there are more than one way to create a mutual understanding and "empathy". Uncontrolled "perception" would always result into misinterpretation of behavior, resulting in turn into more friction and conflict, which makes the workplace "a fighting arena" of winners and losers.

Third - Help your boss become a better manager. This mean "accepting" the other with a belief that regardless of our being different, we still can work together. Personal defects are more felt among Friends, but in the workplace these can be accepted as long as they do not influence our performance. Do not try make your boss look bad before others, especially his superiors. He/she has got more "power" to settle accounts making your life miserable. Learn how to "invest" in your boss by educating him/her without even hinting you do.

Fourth - Develop a daily "game plan" to make it possible to stress positive thoughts, good emotional balance, and be in charge of yourself. You need to "sell" you ideas without being "pushy" or aggressive. Your tool would be "persuasion" not "power". Remember, you cannot impose on your boss. He can.

Fifth - Put your entire group - in addition to your boss - to work for you. Make them feel that your are a valuable asset to the team. This relies mainly on your ability to exert effort to be helpful and cooperating whenever you can. Enhancing your interpersonal skills of communication and negotiation would help become most effective in this area.

Sixth - Have an eye on becoming a boss yourself. Invest in yourself. Do not leave a chance to learn from your mistakes as from your successes. Always ask yourself:"What are the things that I do not like in my boss, and that I am going to avoid when I become one?"
Your biggest challenge though would be dealing with an insensitive boss. A boss who is too much results oriented. Bosses of that kind are usually inconsiderate to their people's needs. You need here to work winning ways to gain their attention and recognition. Allow enough time and work systematically to develop an interactive relationship with a boss of that kind until you win his/her respect.

Getting What You Want

The first step to getting what you want in life is knowing what you want. This may sound obvious, but a surprising number of us are going through life without really coming to terms with the truth of what we want. There are many reasons for this, and they range from parental influences that curb our imaginations to external factors that curb our ability to take action. We may feel that getting too caught up in exploring our deepest desires is wasted energy when it seems we want things beyond our grasp. This is a very practical attitude and has its benefits, but it can be safely balanced with a more imaginative and unlimited approach to the question of what we want.

Perhaps you are 40 years old and find within yourself a desire to be a ballet dancer. You see the impracticality and seeming impossibility of this idea, so you reject it without exploring it. But perhaps you should allow yourself to feel this desire and perhaps even take a dance class. Allowing yourself to participate in ballet in small ways may provide inspiration that leads you in a new direction in life. And time spent doing what you want to do is never wasted because it generates energy that can fuel the rest of your life.

You can begin to uncover and discover what you want by doing a simple, timed writing exercise. Set your timer for 15 minutes and write without stopping, starting every sentence with the words "I want." Writing without stopping for a set period of time enables your inner voice to override your inner censor and helps to unearth buried dreams. It also creates a feeling of relief in the mind, heart, and body. This exercise can also be practiced orally, alone or in the company of a friend. You might try doing this exercise every morning for a week, looking back at the end of the week to see what has come up. Sometimes the simple act of expressing a want actually releases it, while other yearnings retain their energy, asking us to pay attention. When we pay attention to what we want, we are that much closer to getting it.

How to…lead your boss

There was a time when our line managers had done our job, had come through the ranks and therefore knew more than we did. But no longer. In these days of instant communication, globalisation and ever-increasing customer demands, we are all required to be adaptable, responsible, and accountable. Organisations are more complex, careers typically span several organisations, and we are much more able to change our career focus.

Against this background, upward leadership (by which I mean leadership of one's boss, rather than in the traditional sense of leadership of one's team members) assumes much greater significance, yet it is a topic that is rarely discussed and debated. With the demands of the marketplace getting steeper, and the speed of change - technological or otherwise - getting faster, it's not feasible for our line managers to know everything. It is increasingly up to us to lead them. Doing so is not easy, but there are ways to make the task less daunting.

1 UNDERSTAND THE ORGANISATION AND ITS CONSTRAINTS

All organisations have rules and ways of doing business, written and unwritten. Make sure you understand what they are and why they are there. You'll save yourself time and effort as it allows you to concentrate on the areas where you can make a real difference. Understanding the rules of the game will make upward leading much easier. But remember to remain positive and proactive, even if a change you think is desperately needed seems a long time coming.

2 UNDERSTAND YOUR BOSS

Know what makes your boss tick, what matters to them, what keeps them awake at night, what their wider interests are and what pressures they are under. If you merely bang on about your own issues without understanding the wider ramifications to your boss, then you won't get very far. When you understand what motivates your boss, judging how to lead them is much easier.

3 BUILD A REAL RAPPORT

If there's one thing that makes all the other tips hang together, then it's this one. You don't have to like your boss, but (if you know what makes them tick) you can still build a rapport. Earn their trust too, by delivering what is expected of you and by being open and honest. Make sure you are really good at what you do so that your boss respects what you do. Give your thoughts and ideas freely without expecting anything in return - you'll actually get lots back by doing so.

4 LINK YOUR IDEAS TO BUSINESS BENEFITS

Make sure that your proposals have a business spin-off in terms of the bottom line or in the way people work. The extent to which you do this depends on your boss's particular style - how do they like their information? Are they interested in the idea or the outcome, the people or the bottom line? Find out and adapt to their style so that you can influence them in the areas they really care about.

5 DEAL WITH FACTS

Leaders need truth, fact and reality if they are to make sound decisions. Often the truth is hidden from our managers because we are afraid of the impact it may have. What we're actually saying when we do this is "we don't think that you can stand the truth" and in doing so we belittle and demean them. What we need to do is to be straight, and raise concerns in the appropriate way. The alternative (being underhand) will eventually backfire.

6 DELIVER SOLUTIONS, NOT PROBLEMS

You won't earn your boss's respect by bringing them all your problems. While they might like solving a crisis (some really enjoy the challenge), over time they'll come to resent the fact that you're eating into their time and giving them more work. They'll also wonder whether you're really up to the task. So, go to them with solutions and recommendations, backed up by the impact that your recommendations will have on the business.

7 AIM TO WORK AS A PARTNERSHIP

There are things that your boss will do better than you, and others where you're the expert. Work as a partnership by identifying with your boss what you are good at and agreeing the freedom that you have to operate. Become a team and develop an atmosphere that allows for an open and frank exchange of ideas. Once you've identified your boundaries, your own task will be much easier. However, remember to keep your boss informed. Keep them in the dark and there's a much greater chance that they will become concerned and start reeling your freedom back in.

8 LISTEN

It's been said that what every employee needs is a damn good listening to! That includes your boss, so be prepared to spend time to use your questioning skills and really listen to them. What are they going to be judged by? What pressures are they under? How can you help them? How do they like to be kept informed? Are they happy to delegate or do they do it simply because they are expected to? These are all questions to ask which will make leading them much easier.

9 STICK TO YOUR ****

Keep on going with those things that you truly believe in. Stick to your values and your boss will appreciate your input and recognise that you are not merely saying what you think he/she wants you to say. This is the most valuable service you can provide and any boss worth working for will rate this highly. Make sure that your input is for the benefit of all and for the company, and remember that humility is a great asset. Don't be afraid to admit when you've got something wrong. If people know you, they'll realise that your actions were for the right motive and you'll earn their respect if you admit mistakes. Key points • Understand the organisation and its constraints in order to work out how you can make a real difference. • Concentrate on the things that are within your influence. • Understand your boss, their learning style and how they like information passed to them. • Link your contribution to the bottom line. • Build a real rapport with your boss so you can speak openly and honestly with them. • Deliver solutions, not problems.

OFFICE WEAR

Someone once said, "If you have more pairs of shoes than feet, it's a complete waste!" In this day and age of power dressing, that someone would be downright wrong. Especially when it comes to the subject of corporate footwear. Here are a few tips that will help you go beyond that work footwear faux pas.

For Women:
Ladies who prefer skirt or pant suits should opt for closed toe shoes in a contrasting colour. Stiletto heels give a more corporate look to your attire, but you could also experiment with kitten heels and the like. Open toed stiletto heels with ankle straps are a strict no-no. Shoes like these fall under the 'party wear' category. Black is the most preferred colour when it comes to women's shoes, but ladies can also try and match their shoes with the colour of their pants/skirts. You can experiment with crèmes, beiges and browns.

For Men:

Men should stick to the more traditional colours such as blacks and browns. It is also advised that men generally try to match the colour of their shoes with their belt. Dark coloured socks are generally the norm. Make sure that the elastic has not worn out to prevent them from gathering around your ankles. For both, men as well as women, the material of the shoes should generally be patent leather or suede.

BUSINESS CASUALS DRESS CODE

What Is Business Casuals?

It is quite simply a dress code that enables employees to project a professional, business-like image while experiencing the comfort advantages of more casual and relaxed clothing.

What Not To Wear

Because all casual clothing is not suitable for the office, these guidelines will help you determine what is inappropriate to wear to work. Clothing that reveals too much cleavage, your back, your chest, your feet, your stomach or your underwear is not appropriate for a place of business, even in a business casual setting. Even in a business casual work environment, clothing should be pressed and never wrinkled. Torn, dirty, or frayed clothing is unacceptable. Clothing that works well for the beach, yard work, dance clubs, exercise sessions, and sports contests may not be appropriate for a professional appearance at work. What Works For Work Here is a general overview of acceptable business casual attire.

Slacks that are made of cotton or synthetic material pants, wool pants, flannel pants, and nice looking dress synthetic pants are acceptable. Casual dresses and skirts, and skirts that are split at or below the knee are acceptable. Dress and skirt length should be no shorter than four inches above the knee, or a length at which you can sit comfortably in public. Casual shirts, golf shirts, dress shirts, sweaters, tops, and turtlenecks are acceptable. Most suit jackets or sport jackets are also acceptable attire for the office.

Loafers, boots, flats, clogs, conservative athletic shoes, sneakers, dress heels, and leather deck shoes are acceptable. Wearing no stockings is acceptable if the look is appropriate to the outfit. Jewelry, makeup, perfume, and cologne should be in good taste. Avoid visible body piercing only pierced ears are acceptable. Hats are not appropriate in the office. Head covers that are required for religious purposes or to honour cultural tradition are allowed.

CREATE AN EXECUTIVE WARDROBEE

Are you undecided on how to get the suave, dapper look at your new job? Corporate dressing is not about large purchases but paying attention to details while operating on economical costs. Here are a few ways to get that chic, smart look with a shoe string budget (literally)!

When in Rome...

As far as possible design a wardrobe on similar lines that are being followed by co-workers and colleagues. If you are new to the organization it would stand you in good stead to follow precedence than set trends...just yet! Dress codes have started relaxing the world over and power dressing is as obsolete as Friday dressing, so do bear the general trend in mind too.

Avoid Flamboyancy

It is safer to opt for conservative styles instead of going in for flamboyant versions. Mixing and matching with a basic wardrobe will stand you in good stead.

What you really need *

At least one business suit (if you can afford a second one, nothing like it). Greys and blues (the darker versions are the safest bets.

* Get at least two blazers preferably in light, non-wrinkle fabric that is easy to maintain.

* Try and include at least three sets of formal trousers in your corporate wardrobe.

* At least one white shirt is a de rigueur for a corporate wardrobe.

* Avoid flamboyant ties and those with large prints of cartoon characters.

* Solid ties are the best options. * There is no replacing the charm and elegance of a fine pair of brown shoes.