You’ve probably heard the line that we spend more time with our co-workers than our family and friends. Perhaps with COVID, that’s changed, but the reality is, we do spend a lot of time with our co-workers – even if it’s online. The relationships we foster at work are essential. They can impact our performance, our morale and our mood – particularly the relationship with our manager. What’s your relationship with your manager like? A few considerations if you want to create a better one.
How you like to be managed
Often, friction or dissatisfaction can occur when there is a difference in opinion of management styles. How you like to work may not be how your manager does. Getting on the same page is going to be the key to success. Perhaps you want more autonomy, or conversely, more support. If you’re out of step with your manager, it requires a discussion. Nothing will change on its own. Perhaps it’s not a conversation you are keen to have, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or daunting. A chat about how you work best and how you feel you will produce your best work is a smart and effective message to communicate to your manager. Ultimately, your goal is to help you both work as a team and to create the best work you can.
Report and review
Most managers have the responsibility of tracking performance and results so they can feed that back to their managers, the board, or finance person. This means they need to understand what’s working, what’s not, where spend is going, and what profit is being made. The more you can provide results, stats, and information on what you’re working on, the easier it is going to be for your manager. Try and put yourself in your manager’s shoes. They are most likely results-driven, so making sure you can provide this information is going to be appreciated.
Be authentic and honest
There’s no doubt that the way we communicate and what and how we share has changed since social media has become a part of society. Some may even argue we have become too honest and forthcoming with what we do in our daily lives. However, being able to connect with your manager will, more often than not, make your working relationship easier. It’s not about being best friends but creating a line of communication that is genuine and where you feel comfortable enough, to be honest about how your work is going and how you’re feeling.
A good relationship will always have trust as its foundation. It may take time and work, but the idea is to keep moving in the direction where communication is clear and honest.
