How to Impress Your New Boss

e-mail article |  print | post comments | NEWSLETTER

Keywords: impressing the boss, bosses, supervisors, managers, career advice, job tips, advancement, boss, management

Congratulations! You have a new boss, which means you also have a new opportunity to further define who you are, what you mean to the company and your level of professionalism.

Whether you're gaining a new boss at your existing job or moving to a new job or department, the last thing you want to do is rest on your past accomplishments. This is the time to be proactive.

Here are seven methods to help ensure you impress your new boss:

1. Be Timely

"Make sure you're on time--and this is true particularly for professionals of color," says Bill Wells, chairman of the National Black MBA Association and president of management consulting firm W. Wells & Associates. "Never arrive late," says Wells, citing the stereotype "colored people's time," which insinuates that Blacks and Latinos operate on a slow clock. Rather, he suggests executives from underrepresented groups arrive early to all meetings.

2. Be Informed and Knowledgeable

Wells notes that executives from traditionally underrepresented groups must realize that white executives, who are usually their bosses, may not be familiar with seeing them in a corporate context.

"The images we see on TV portray most young Black women as hoochie mamas and Black men as thugs. Many Caucasians have not seen young, professional Black folks," says Wells.

Disprove those stereotypes by sharing your thoughts on current political issues and business news, especially news within the industry in which your company is involved.

"If you're in the business world, people expect you to know what's going on," says Wells. "Make sure when you're having those conversations in the meeting room before the meeting starts that you have something to talk about. If you're a young, single Black person or a person of color, people might think you partied all weekend … Even if people of color are married and have a family, whites may think we party. So having something to offer to the conversation is always important."

In addition, if you are a female executive, make sure you speak up, are assertive and are not meek, says Miriam Muley, founder and CEO of 85% Niche. Executives must be informed about the company, its competition and the industry to provide proper insight, she says.

"Make sure your opinions are founded in fact," Muley says. "Understand the business issues and competition. Make sure you know that stuff so you have a strong basis for commentary in a meeting."

3. Dress Appropriately

"As much as we'd like to believe that there is an even playing field and that all is equitable, that is not true," Wells says. "If you're a person of color [or from a traditionally underrepresented group], chances are you're one of few, so you're going to stand out anyway."

When dressing for work, even on business-casual days, err on the conservative side. Wells remembers a young, female, Black executive who told him that even though her white colleagues wore jeans on casual Fridays, she never wore jeans because she did not want to be perceived as taking a casual approach to work.

"There is a stereotypical bias that still exists in the workplace and we need to be realistic when we deal with these situations," Wells says. "Many times [white executives] take a casual approach to work … Lord help you if you're a young brother or sister who pulls that. They will develop a reputation that unfortunately will stick with them ... Don't give your new boss an excuse to discredit you by the way you look."

4. Get Recognized as a Team Player

Impressing a new boss in your new working environment is about validating your existence through your work ethic and results, Muley says.

"The way you demonstrate that is through the skill you bring to the table, such as your dependability--can I depend on you to get the job done?" she says. "So learn as much as possible about the new job even before day one--know the key issues, challenges and competition. Know the data as much as is available around the key issues that exist for the job you're going into."

Wells suggests executives establish working relationships with their colleagues early so they may provide results faster than if they're working alone. And don't wait to learn about projects on which you can volunteer; seek out those projects.

"Take the initiative … Find out the new projects coming along and offer to be engaged, whether it's a mundane project or a high-priority project," says Wells. "That's a great way to grow and demonstrate to your boss and department that you are the go-to person."

5. Get to Know Your New Boss's Style

Ask your new boss how he or she prefers to communicate, says Henry Hernandez, managing director of Diversity & Inclusion Executive Consulting. "Some bosses prefer face-to-face contact, some prefer a voicemail and some prefer an e-mail with a voicemail reminder. So ask your boss for their preference on updates. It's really about understanding the frequency, amount of information and type of information you need to communicate," Hernandez says.

Muley suggests executives meet with their new boss "to learn the needs of the business through his or her eyes. Also, get a perspective on the business through other [senior or well-informed] stakeholders in the organization."

Who are you really working for, the company or your boss? It's your boss, Wells says. "You're not working for an organization, you're working for someone," he says. "The relationship you build will be based on info--anecdotal or feedback--[that] you get from others. To me, the more info you can get on the boss's character and personality, the better you are. So get information about who your boss is through networks and/or the boss's outside groups in which he or she is involved."

6. Provide the Boss With the Ropes

"If the boss is new to the organization or has transferred, let them know the basics from the nearest Starbucks to the copier machine and office politics," says Hernandez. "This isn't about gossip. It's about providing them with operating procedures. In fact, do not talk about personalities and politics.

"An informal gathering [of the boss's employees] can help update the new boss on the projects and the things people have done in their career. It's always good to share with the new boss," he adds.

7. Let Your Boss Know Your Work Style

"Be honest about your capabilities," Muley says. "You want to be aggressive and show what you know, but don't be unrealistic in terms of deliverables. You'll set yourself up for potential failure."

Wells suggests executives track their accomplishments and periodically update their new boss on those milestones. "That will help the new boss know what you've accomplished," Wells says. "The boss has a lot of stuff on his plate, so maybe you develop a weekly or monthly update and project updates. In my world, my clients are my boss. With almost every client, I do a weekly update. I make sure information I put in there is substantial, succinct and talks about deliverables," a task that carries over well in the corporate setting.  

Readers' Comments

e-mail article |  print | post comments | NEWSLETTER

Send Your Comments About This Article Now