Learn and Lead: Boss

I have never come across a post that talks about getting your boss promoted. So this post by Dan McCarthy is a refreshing change. We don’t seem to like our bosses, managers are always complete nincompoops, idiots who seem to have gotten where they are because of anything but competence. Everyone rushes to the ‘rescue’ of the poor worker from the clutches of the incompetent ‘manager’.

So why would you even want to think about getting your boss promoted? Dan provides useful insight. He says:

I’ll bet when you worked for a successful manager you had:

- More resources

- More credibility

- More meaningful, value-added work

- More development and career opportunities

- A bigger slice of the merit increase, bonus, or commission pie

He goes on to say:

Now think about when you worked for a failing manager. …you probably experienced:

- A lack of resources; your team was always at the end of the line when it came to budget, office space, equipment, headcount, etc….

- No matter how good you may have been, you carried the stain of your manager’s bad reputation

- You worked on low priority projects that didn’t seem to matter

- You didn’t get much coaching, and maybe not much development (failing managers are usually threatened by ambitious, high achievers)

- A lack of career growth opportunities – because your manager was stuck in place, and didn’t have the political clout to be an advocate for his/her people

Here’s how you can get your boss promoted:

1. Be damn good at your job.

2. Support your manager behind his/her back.

3. Give your manager credit for your own successes.

4. Nominate your manager for an award.

5. Show confidence in your manager’s potential.

6. Make development suggestions on how to be better prepared for larger opportunities.

7. Give feedback to your manager.

Do read his full post here.

Had an interesting chat with Mark Oehlert on Twitter.

moehlert Dr Mike Echols "people quit their bosses, not their jobs".

manishmo @moehlert Not always true (ppl quitting on boss and not job). Have had ppl profess their faith in me as a boss but still quit.

moehlert @manishmo I hear ya, I think Echols was referring to a generational difference - that X'ers r less likely than Boomers to put up w/ bad boss

manishmo @moehlert Intrstng. I read it as Gen Xers are more likely to stick w a boss they like, even if they don't like the job. (1/2)

manishmo @moehlert (2/2) Gen Y-ers are more likely to switch jobs frequently inspite of the boss. Based a little on my own experiences.

moehlert @manishmo I think that's right too

The notion that people quit their bosses and not their jobs is probably different for Gen X and Gen Y. Gen X is more likely to stick to a good boss even if they don’t like the job. Gen Y is likely to quit the job even if they like the boss. I read in an India employment report (that I am trying to get my hands on to) that Gen Y-ers’ average stint in a company is about 2 years. Based on my experiences, this is quite true.