We usually write about how to get interviewed and then get hired
for the best job. But this week’s tip is about what to do after
that happens. Finding a job is largely a sales process – finding
prospects (finding jobs), qualifying those prospects further
(interviewing) and closing the sale (getting hired). Good
salespeople know the sales process does not end when you close
the deal. It continues after that as post-sale customer
management. In the career world, this translates into post-hire
“boss management”.
When salespeople make a sale, they know if they’re going to get
maximum value out of the account in terms of future business
with the customer and getting referred to other customers, they
need to have a strong post-close relationship. If you can adopt
this kind of attitude with managing your boss, you’ll be well
equipped to move ahead in your career.
Learn the culture
The first thing you need to do after you get hired is keep your
eyes open. If you want to know how things are done around your
new office, just look around. Your first few weeks should
involve a lot of listening, learning, and just plain watching.
Find a trusted co-worker who you can ask questions of about how
things work “around here.” Once you understand how things work
and what is expected of you, you’ll have a much better time
producing it.
Manage Expectations
Salespeople often talk about managing expectations. This is a
very important concept to keep in mind when developing the
relationship with your boss. If you don’t know what your boss
expects of you, you’re on track to a bad relationship with them.
Find out what your boss’s short-term and longer term
expectations are for you, and confirm it with them by expressing
it in your own words. This is the best way to make sure you’re
on the same page.
When it comes to operational issues of getting tasks done, it’s
always better to under-promise and over-deliver than it is to
over-promise and under-deliver. Even if you’re sure you can get
Project X done by Wednesday, give yourself some breathing room
by telling your boss it will be done Thursday or Friday. If you
get it done before Thursday or Friday, your boss will be
pleasantly surprised and will think of you as a professional who
budgets the time necessary to get work done. However, if you
promise Wednesday and get it done Thursday, your boss will think
of you as careless, unprofessional, and disrespectful.
Make Your Boss Feel Comfortable
You want your boss to think of you as their kind of person. One
way to do this that many people overlook is to adjust your
personal style slightly so it’s not incongruent with theirs. If
your boss wears suits to work but you wear khakis, he or she may
be less likely to think you’re their kind of person. It works
the other way around too: if your boss wears khakis to work but
you wear a suit, he or she will also think you’re not on the
same wavelength.
Get a feel for how your boss likes to interact with people. Does
he or she want “just the facts, ma’am” or does your boss prefer
to joke around a little? Whatever their preference, if you don’t
adopt your style somewhat to theirs, it could cost you. If you
don’t, you can still do well in your position, but when a
promotion becomes available or it’s time to consider raising
your salary, your boss is going to consider whether you’re their
kind of person or not.
Anticipate Your Boss’s Needs
Most people know this but it doesn’t hurt to mention it anyway.
Bosses don’t like to have to ask for things, and they hate
having to ask twice. If they have to ask twice, they see it as a
sign of disrespect that you didn’t comply with their first
request. On the other hand, if you produce what they want before
they ask for it, it will go along way to making them feel
respected and valued.
A great way to make a real impression on your boss and the
company in general is to take the initiative at all times. Don’t
wait to be asked to do something you know you could or should
do. This doesn’t mean you should take on other people’s projects
or try to show people up. What you can do however, is notice
when small tasks need to be done and go ahead and do them.
Remember, climbing to the top starts with little things at the
bottom. Show your boss that you’re not afraid to work hard and
they’ll look to you for success from then on!
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