7 Ways to Make Your Boss Love You

• Lia Sestric / GoBankingRates

June 16, 2016

 

Treat her like a customer.

Winning over your boss could have a profound effect on your career and even help you get a raise or promotion.
According to a 2014 study on employee engagement and organizational culture by TINYpulse, poor employee-employer relations can have a seriously negative impact on the workplace. Employees who dislike going to work might not perform as well. Not only does worker dissatisfaction affect overall company productivity and revenue, but it also creates an unpleasant environment for other team members.
Luckily, there are steps employees can take to earn their bosses’ love and respect. According to Chantal Wynter, an author, speaker and career coach, working to enhance your relationship with your boss can help you advance your career.
Said Wynter, “Your boss will be invested in your success and become your sponsor.”
If you haven’t received clear signals that your boss is on your side, it might be time to change your behavior. Here are some tips from career experts on how to make your boss like you.

1. Be Your Boss’s Go-to Person

Bosses want to know that they have reliable employees who will get the job done without hesitation. As a result, you’ll want to demonstrate consistency in your work to impress the head honcho.
Said Wynter, “You’ll want to show your boss that you are vested in their success along with the company. Consistency will lead to reliability. In no time, your boss will come to like and rely on you because they know they can count on you.”
Accommodating your supervisor’s needs when asked (and before you’re asked) encourages him or her to see you as an asset — and might even help you secure a raise or other perks down the line.

2. Send Your Boss a Weekly Note

No, we’re not talking about rants or memes. However, sending a weekly note to keep your boss abreast of important work developments is a wise idea.
According to Barry Maher, a consultant, author and speaker, it’s smart to let your boss know what you’re up to during the workweek. Not only does this tactic enable your boss to stay on top of your workload without micromanaging, but it also invites him or her to offer guidance and feedback. As an added benefit, sending weekly emails allows you to establish a record of achievement.
Said Maher, “When it’s time to discuss raises, you’ll have all that ammunition about exactly what you’ve done for the company and for the boss.”
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3. Leverage Your Creativity

If you want to make your boss like you, aim to anticipate his or her needs in the workplace and use your creativity to address them.
Brittany King, career strategist and owner of My Career in Gear, a virtual company that helps job seekers find work they love, said, “When an employee consistently thinks of creative ways to help alleviate a pain point for their boss, they position themselves to be in their boss’s good graces. This is because they are not simply brown-nosing, but adding concrete value to their boss and to their organization as a whole.”
King suggests listening carefully when your boss mentions problems in a casual context and striving to brainstorm concrete solutions.

4. Have a Positive Attitude

An employee who always sees the glass as half empty can be a serious downer in the workplace — and bosses are likely to notice.
“As a manager, there is nothing worse than dealing with someone who has a negative attitude,” said Wynter. “That person sucks the energy from the team.”
She went on to advise employees to invest their energy in team-building by smiling and offering compliments to their colleagues.

5. Respect Your Boss’s Time

If you’re not a morning person, then you probably know it can be hard to deal with work problems before you’ve had your coffee. The odds are good that your boss feels this way on occasion, too. Understanding that supervisors are busy people, savvy workers avoid going to them at the wrong times or taking up too much of their days on personal problems.
A boss’s time is already consumed by decision-making, so don’t add to the stress, advises Linda Swindling, a workplace expert and author of the books, “The Manager’s High-Performance Handbook” and “Stop Complainers And Energy Drainers.”
“Bosses love it if you formulate your own solutions and decisions and then come to them for final approval,” said Swindling.
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6. Compliment Your Boss

Bosses appreciate receiving praise just like anyone else. According to Swindling, your boss might need that pat on the back, and you can earn points by being the one to deliver it.
“We all expect feedback about our performance from our boss — but many people don’t give their boss feedback. If your boss does a nice job giving a presentation at a meeting, tell him,” said Swindling, who went on to note that it’s not kissing up if compliments are genuine.
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Praise is particularly welcome for bosses, as they tend to hear more criticism and complaints from workers. So, the next time your boss does something worthy of recognition, be the first to mention it.

7. Treat Your Boss as Your Customer

According to Gregory Serrien, career expert, business consultant and author of “How To Land A High-Paying Dream Job In Corporate America,” employees can score points simply by treating their supervisors like clients.
“Give them what they want and need, the way they asked for it, plus a little extra,” he said. “Work to make their life easier, and they will return the favor because they love what you are doing for them. They will tell all their peers (other bosses) and their boss how great you are doing.”
Praising your work is one of many signs that your boss does in fact like you.
Follow these tips to get on your boss’s good side and boost your odds of securing that raise or promotion.
This article originally appeared on GoBankingRates.