Have you reflected on the importance of establishing a positive and constructive relationship with your boss, in order to have more career chances and live hours in the office with less hostility?
After having clarified why it is important to get along with the boss and what are the preliminary steps necessary to establish professional empathy, here is some concrete advice suggested by Jean-François Manzoni, professor of management at the INSEAD Business School.
Focus on the merits
You have never put up with him: you are irritated by his tone of voice, the way he walks, the posture in which he sits in a meeting.
And your gaze does not lie: the lack of appreciation towards your boss shines through your eyes and is creating a lot of relationship and reputation problems.
To reverse course and build a virtuous relationship with the boss, force yourself to focus on his positive aspects: evaluate his strengths, his best skills and put the best in empathy. Immerse yourself in the reality of him, trying to understand what drives his behavior and trying to understand his sensitivity.
Maybe you will discover the human side of your boss that will make you re-evaluate his subjectivity.
Connect on a personal level
Playing the card of empathy, according to teacher Jean-François Manzoni, is always a good choice to consolidate a relationship.
Just as an employee would like to feel valued as an individual beyond the role, even the boss sometimes wants to be considered a person, under the double breast.
Recognizing a private component in the boss will help you connect with him and do so to feel unusually important.
Without invading too much the personal sphere of others, try to establish communication with the boss on a human level, talking about topics outside the work. Sports, hobbies and family are fertile territories to find points of contact to connect with.
Offer material and emotional support
To build a positive relationship with the boss – capable of giving you peace of mind in the office and projecting you towards a promotion – enter the perspective of becoming, in the eyes of the boss, a valid ally.
Do your best work, anticipate possible issues by lightening the life of the boss and offer maximum concrete support.
Be by his side also from an emotional point of view: make him feel appreciated in front of everyone, do not fail to express a compliment for a goal achieved, show yourself aligned with his positions and be consistent.
In short: revealing your accomplices and faithful will make the boss feel understood and respected, prompting him to open up.
What if the alchemy doesn’t trigger? Escape or resilience?
In spite of your best efforts, can’t you connect with your boss? Working too long for a professional we don’t respect can become a real nightmare.
In order not to compromise our psychophysical well-being, it is better to act: consider changing jobs and seizing new opportunities, approaching the market with enthusiasm but without haste.
In the meantime, work on resilience: living with an unwelcome leader can strengthen your armor, gain experience and help you become more solid day after day.
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