Ways to Make Your Boss Love You Tip#2

Even if this is not in your job description, take notes at all meetings where you and your boss are both present. If your support staff attends the meeting, delegate to him. Email your boss the notes the same day of the meeting or within 24-hours. Your email message should be one sentence: "Attached please find my/our/my team's notes from the meeting." Keep meeting notes brief, including only the essentials such as: action items, decisions, parking lot items, attendees, and all other information your boss may want to reference at a later date. Most important, file the notes so you can find them quickly - most likely your boss will delete the email and then ask you for the notes a month later. This allows your boss to relax and focus on the meeting while she knows you are taking care to record all the essentials.

Are You the Office Stalker?

Do you do any of these things at work? We’ve all been guilty of being the office stalker at least once. Researchers have found that, in terms of promotions, job security, etc., how well you get along with co-workers and how you are perceived is much more important than making your deadlines.

• Do you ask your co-workers, support staff, supervisors, questions right when they arrive at work in the morning? Don’t be a stalker; give them time to settle in for the day.
• Do you leave a voice mail or send an email, and then, when you see the person in the hall you start talking about the same topic you left a message about? Worse, do you send the voice mail or email and then go to their desk to talk about it? Don’t be a stalker; let them respond before you bring it up. They might have a big to-do list that day. If your topic is time-sensitive, send a follow-up email letting them know.
• Do you have co-workers’ personal cell phone numbers and use them for work calls? On behalf of your co-workers, please stop.

To read research in this area, view these articles:
InformationWeek | ScienceDirect

Support Your Support Staff

Taking the time to appreciate your support staff with these simple tips can increase staff work satisfaction, and they will be more likely to go that extra mile for you.

• Record support staff birthdays, have cards in your desk ready to go, and give a card on their birthday. Leave it on their keyboard or chair the night before. The way we like to do this is by using our Outlook (email) calendars; that way we get reminders automatically.
• Going out for a latte? Ask your support staff if you can bring them one too.
• Notice things. Did someone get a new haircut, eye glasses, or car? Recognize it and tell them how great it is!

Ways to Make Your Boss Love You Tip #1

When your boss is talking to you about a task, take detailed notes and ask questions.

Once you get back to your desk, email your boss with your understanding of the task, the due dates, and a description of the deliverable. That way you’re not asking questions at the 11th hour and you know your delivery will match expectations. Sounds simple, but we've noticed most people neglect this essential planning step.

Get Efficient

Want to be more efficient at work?
Try these three easy steps at the end of your work day.
Stop all your work 10-20 minutes before you leave and take these 3 steps at the end of the day. It takes discipline, but your next day at work will be more efficient.

Let yourself only use the suggested time for each step – if you don’t get done stop anyway. You’ll get faster with practice.

• Make to do list for the next day (5 min)
• Clean off desktop and office so when you come in the next morning its clutter-free and files have been put away (1-5 min)
• Clean out and file all emails into folders (5-10 min)

Make Your Morning Count

The first hour of your work day sets the tone for the rest of the day. Make it action oriented rather than spending time socializing. Save the socializing for later in the morning during a coffee break. Try this a couple of times and see instant results!