Getting recognised by your new boss for success | Sunday Observer

Getting recognised by your new boss for success

10 October, 2021

Every leader and every workplace is different, but speaking generally, the best way to get your boss to like you is to do great work. If you are looking to potentially become their favorite team member — you need to work for it and it does not come naturally.

Times change and so do the people in your company. The pandemic may have forced many changes in your organisation with restructuring and other voluntary and involuntary changes made. Just as you have seen colleagues come and go, one day your beloved boss may be the one to leave.

If you are standing there watching the turnstile change, how will you react to accommodate your new boss? What will you do to set yourself up to succeed? Many people struggle to make an impression on their new supervisor, while more than a few new bosses fail to make an impact on their new company and ultimately end up as a short-term hire.

More able

When a senior external hire is made, there will likely be someone internally who believes they should have been promoted into the new role and that they are more able than the person chosen for the job from outside. Sometimes a jaded employee will deliberately set up the “new guy” to fail and, at times, they will succeed.

It is far better to adopt a neutral stance on the subject of your new boss. Be ready to help him or her out, but do not appear overly eager. Being first out of the gates is not the best impression to make when a new senior hire has been made.

All the “brown nosers” will approach your new boss within the first few days and pepper him with how they can help. These people, however, are likely to be dismissed as being overeager. Something about them just triggers a natural defence that screams out: “Be more careful!” Don’t be a noser or a poser. Hold out for a little while: be courteous and introduce yourself, let your boss know what you do and work hard doing it. A no-nonsense approach is what impresses people. Cut right to the point and let it be known that you are not going to waste their time or yours.

When the dust clouds have settled and your new boss is starting to get acclimated to his new environment, make a note to stop by and volunteer to aid him with tasks that will make his life that much more comfortable. Those who would get into the heart of the new boss in the right manner will have the edge over the others. As a guideline, your boss should start to get his head around things in three to four weeks’ time. In this time, he will undoubtedly start putting his plan of action into place and this is when you should alert him of your availability. Serve as a resource and understand that helping out does not involve sticking your nose into other people’s business.

Valuable asset

Setting a good impression with your new boss does not require knowing it all. Of course you wish to appear like a valuable asset, but this does not come by pretending you are an expert when you are not. More often, trying to be a know-it-all will create the opposite impression: It raises suspicion about everything else you say.

When people speak like an expert on subjects they are clearly not knowledgeable about, it shows that they may be too proud to ask for help or they are capable of misrepresenting the truth. For a new boss trying to discover who he can trust, posing as an expert could be a drastic mistake for your career.

Getting a new boss often means that you have a new opportunity to set a first impression. Perhaps you did not get along well with your old boss, or perhaps you did, but now your biggest advocator in the company has left.

Recognise that the past is the past and that your new supervisor will likely judge you based on your current performance and ongoing relationship with him. Welcoming a new boss to the workplace can be an unsettling experience. Use the opportunity to set yourself apart from others. Establish yourself as the go-to guy by respecting your boss and his ability to see past the nonsense and charades.

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