My Top 10 Tips for Keeping your Boss Happy

1 |Say “Good Morning”
There is nothing worse than starting your day off with some grumpy jerk. Set the tone for the day with a simple “good morning.”

2 | Keep your Personal Life, Personal
Your outside life should not affect the quality of your work. Don’t get me wrong, I understand we each have a life outside of work but when it consumes over 50% of your day, that’s when we have a problem.

3 | Let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No” be “No”
If you say you are going to complete a task, make sure you can do it. Push yourself and show that you are worth keeping around but don’t overcommit. Check-in with yourself and ask: “What value did I bring my team today?”

4 | Be a Servant Leader
Approach work relationships with a servant leader mentality. Servant leadership begins with care and a desire to help. Your goal at work should be to help your manager achieve their goals and make their life easier. This will not go unnoticed and helps form a company culture of service.

“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them, there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.”

~What is Servant Leadership?
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/

More about Robert K. Greenleaf who coined the term.

5 | Don’t Act like the Millennial stereotype
Yeah, I said it. I just became that GenXer that used the M-word. For my entire life, I have been Generation X… yeah me! One day someone changed it and lumped me in with the Millennials. I refuse this notion. The truth is your boss busted their ass getting to where they are, and they expect you to pay your dues and have the same passion. Stay late, cancel plans, and find joy in your work. Have fun on the weekend and come back on Monday ready to conquer the week.

One more thing. Learn from your elders don’t look at them as old and decrepit, rather find a way they can become a mentor. (See point 10)

6 | Be Honest
Honesty goes a long way. If you are unsure about a task or don’t know something it is okay to ask. It’s better to bring up any roadblocks before moving forward. To build trust and develop authentic relationships there has to be honest dialogue. I’ve seen people lose jobs and get in serious trouble for lying and withholding the truth, just be open and honest.

7 | Work Comes First
I can’t rely on my employees if I know they will not put in a few extra hours to finish a project or help a colleague out. Sometimes your job requires sacrifice and 5 pm plans to get drinks is not a good reason to leave the office before everyone else. Find a healthy balance to prove you are dedicated and willing to do the hard work.

8 | Be Humble
Humility begins with listening. Listen to the experience in the room and be receptive to the needs of your team. Everyone has room to grow and learn and there is no better place to do this than within your company.

9 | Educate Yourself
Imagine a doctor who stops learning. The same applies to your profession. Careers are ever-evolving with new information, techniques, and software constantly entering the market. Invest time in reading and learning to prove you are an asset to your company.

Here are some great places to continue professional development:
Skillshare
Study.com
LinkedIn Learning
udemy.com

10 | Mentorship
Find someone in or outside of your work to learn from. Ask questions that show you are wanting to grow. Ask your manager if you can get together once a week with colleagues to check-in. Ask questions such as: What went well throughout the week? What could have been improved? What techniques can be used to better complete a task? Etc.

Conclusion
The small things add up and develop your reputation. Work hard, listen and use discernment to move up in your industry. Your work can take you far in an industry, your character will continue to take you farther.