"Buttering up your boss" conjures up thoughts of anger and disgust for many people. It insinuates that someone has an inside track with the boss although they may not be the most qualified or most experienced person on the team. To truly be successful in your job, you should strive to demonstrate your value to your boss rather than spending your time trying to figure out how to "butter him up"!

It is true that that different people establish different types of relationships with their boss. But it is also undeniable that someone who makes himself valuable to their boss and who makes the boss look good will be recognized above others. Well-deserved recognition and praise from your boss for a job well done should be your goal. But how do you gain this recognition without going through the "buttering up" process? It's quite simple.

ACTIVELY COMMUNICATE: Establish an effective and ongoing communication channel with your boss. Figure out how he prefers to communicate and utilize that medium. He may prefer email to telephone and it's important that you know what works best for him. Taking time to understand his preferences will help you communicate better. But don't under-estimate the value of face-to-face conversation with your boss either. Regardless of how he prefers to communicate, face-to-face communication always strengthens relationships when it is done well. Clear, concise communication is key regardless of the medium you choose.

SHOW RESPECT: Show respect for your boss and let him know that you want to do a good job. Recognize that he also has a boss to answer to and you are part of the team that will contribute to his success or failure. Taking time to understand his needs and the expectations from his superiors will give you an advantage in helping him reach his personal goals and objectives. In return, your performance is recognized and you become even more valuable to your boss and the team as a whole.

ACKNOWLEDGE OTHERS: Always exercise fairness when dealing with people. Give credit where credit is due and you'll be rewarded for it later. If someone else has made a contribution to a project or something you have prepared, make it known to your boss. He will appreciate your honesty and increase his trust in you. Good managers value integrity and honesty.

IMPROVE PERFORMANCE: Continually seek to improve your performance and expand your scope of responsibilities. Seek input and feedback from your boss and ask how you can improve. Observe other projects or office activities and identify ways that you can contribute to them. Gain the admiration of your boss by volunteering to support other team members or by offering to take on added responsibility.

ENSURE DEPENDABILITY Dependable, reliable employees are highly valued individuals in any organization. Be sure that your boss knows that he and the team members can rely on you to carry your share of the work and to assume additional responsibilities when needed. Always complete your work on time and support others in doing the same thing. Identify ways to contribute to the overall success of the team which will also reflect positively on your boss.

This will increase his reliance on you and his trust in your ability to take on greater responsibilities among the team. Enhancing your relationship with your boss through quality performance, dependability, and professionalism is the best way to gain the respect not only of your boss, but of your peers.

You should never compromise your integrity or ethics to "butter up the boss", but should focus on advancing the goals of your boss and the company. By doing this, you make your boss look good and in return, you will enhance your value to your boss and to the organization as a whole.

Have a Blessed Day! - Ross