What Does Your Boss Think of You?

After much discussion about the team members who report to them, our group came pretty much to a consensus about the types of challenges they face — and how those challenges could be solved. After some more brainstorming, they identified six areas where employees should focus their attention for success:

• The ability to communicate and empathize with individuals from a wide array of backgrounds
• The follow-through and completion of tasks
• Attention to detail
• A desire to learn the trade and grow in their current role, instead of constantly thinking about the next promotion or rung on the ladder
• Simply picking up the phone, instead of an over-reliance on emails and text messages
• The use of handwritten, or at least personalized, notes and letters

We told our group of executives about a company survey we held a year ago. In a nutshell, the survey had shown that most employees think they’re great at their job, and considered themselves to be exceptional leaders. The C-level executives in our group quite disagreed with that conclusion, pointing to the challenges they outlined above.

So remember: It’s not what you think of your boss that counts — it’s the other way around. Your boss is the decision maker, and it’s what they think of you that matters. Only you can make that change. Start with the six points above, and I guarantee you’ll make progress.