5 ways to build a positive relationship with your boss

You will spend over 2,000 hours each year at work and the majority, if not all, of that time will be spent interacting with your boss. Building a positive work relationship with your supervisor is essential to your success. Positive relationships eliminate stress, unpleasant work environments, and negative attitudes. Here are five ways you can have a positive working relationship:

1. Know your boss’s routine.Knowing your boss’s routine will allow you to plan daily activities more effectively. If your boss is not a morning person, it is a good practice to schedule meetings in the afternoon.

When your boss is out of the office, plan to get more work done and provide updates when she returns. This will let her know that you have been productive and inform her of your progress.

2. Understand your boss’s needs.Understanding your boss’s needs is important when building a positive working relationship. If your boss prefers correspondence in a certain format, then draft documents in the manner that appeals to them.

3. Use active listening skills.Get clarification, ask questions, and repeat instructions so that you completely understand what is expected. Using active listening skills lets your supervisor know that you understand the task and serves as verification to yourself that you comprehend.

4. Know your boss’s leadership style.Identifying your boss’s leadership style will make your work life much easier. If your boss likes frequent updates on projects, give him what he wants. If your boss is more hands-off, then build a level of trust so that he is confident that you are dependable and reliable.

5. Pay attention to details. Proofread, verify, confirm, and follow-up. Supervisors need to know that they can rely on their assistant to create error-free documents, plan and organize meetings, and make certain that other pertinent details are covered.

The most important relationship within a company is between the supervisor and employee. The benefits for having positive workplace relationships are: increased productivity, respect amongst employees, and reduced stress. Following these tips for building positive relationships will make your employment last a lot longer.