5 Things Your Boss Wants You to Do at Work - The Muse

5 Things Your Boss Wants You to Do at Work - The Muse5 Things Your Boss Wants You to Do at WorkYour manager can be a mysterious person- one day theyre hot, the next theyre cold (cue Katy Perry). And chances are youre desperate to do whatever it takes to make them like you more.I have the solution for you Actually, I liedI have fiveEvery anfhrer wants you to do these five things without having to ask- and if you do them regularly, youre aya to crack their secret code and build a stronger relationship. (Hint The stronger your relationship, the more likely it is theyll help you get promotions and raises)1. Take the LeadYour boss has a lot on their plate. They dont have time to handle everything, so they most likely delegate some of their responsibility to you. Thats par for the course.Look at this as your open invitation to run with it without needing their constant oversight and friendly reminders. I can almost guarantee theyll be both impressed and relieved to see you taking charge in meetings, setting agendas, and completing assignments without having to ask.2. Let Them Know When Youre StrugglingBut when youre not comfortable taking the lead on something, or are not sure how, or are struggling to handle the workload, your manager wants you to speak up. fruchtwein bosses arent evil, which means they dont enjoy watching others suffer (at least I hope not).But more importantly, they need to know when youre struggling because it may very well affect them. That deadline youre about to miss, that project youre half-assing because you dont have enough time to spend on it- those results will negatively impact your boss to-do list as well their reputation. So, let them know when youre lost (this template will help)- because then you (and your boss) can fix the problem before it happens. 3. Be on Time and PreparedYour manager probably went over the general gist of what they expect from you when you first started your job, but they shouldnt have to (and dont really want t o) continue to micromanage you to uphold basic work etiquette. Basically, even though they dont say it, they really want you to show up to do your day-to-day job responsibilities, in addition to showing up to work on time, coming prepared to meetings, and meeting deadlines.And really, why wouldnt you if you care about keeping your job?4. Ask Questions, Push Back When it Makes Sense, and Offer Alternate SolutionsYour manager may not say this directly, but they want you to seek out information you dont know or understand, question projects youre involved in, and offer solutions. Youre there because they value your input, so dont be scared to offer it. Trust me Theyd rather know theres a flaw in their plan on day one, rather than day 100. Just be careful that youre not questioning everything and pushing back on all your assignments. As Muse writer and leadership expert Jim Morris saysSometimes Id just like my employees to do what Ive asked. Its exhausting (for both of us) if I have to defend every single decision, plus it makes me feel like you have no faith in my judgment. If youre still unsure whether its a good battle to pick, ask me. Say Are you open to a different opinion on this? and give me the choice of opening it up for discussion.5. Help Them Better Manage YouFinally, your supervisor wants to be good at their job (again, because theyre not evil). Therefore, they want to help you do your best work, because realistically, it makes them look good, too.That means that theyre technically open to feedback. I say technically because in an ideal world, everyone you work with would want to improve and would seek out constructive criticism to make that happen. Alas, thats not always the case. If you think that your manager would listen, try starting the conversation with this handy email template. If you want a more subtle method, reinforce habits you like. For example, Thank you for giving me such in-depth feedback on that memo, I found it really helpful and Id love for you to continue to do that for other projects.Or, if neither of those seems like the right tactic, you can try subtly managing up and, without having to say anything, train your boss to better manage you.As I said earlier, being proactive with your manager not only leads to more productive and effective collaboration, but tells them you can handle anything on your own- and possibly that youre a great candidate for a promotion down the line.