Let us all agree that for most people working in an organization, your respective boss will always be on top of the list of people who does matter. It was no different for me, when a decade back I also worked for an organization and did have a Boss just like you.
Now as a successful Entrepreneur it is a different matter altogether. I do not have a boss anymore but being a boss and managing people and indirectly giving directions to large teams across cultures is a different ball game all together.
Just like each one of us do come across good and bad bosses, I was fortunate enough to have some amazing bosses who were not only considerate but also forward thinking. This is what probably got ingrained in me as I was moving up the corporate ladder.
Since we do spend most of our time with our boss either working together or virtually, it is bound to have a large influence on our behavior.
I remember working with Gloria Stephene couple of years back and when she did reach out to me, she did mention that she had a great working relationship with her boss. She looked up to her manager and could not expect a better manager to work with. However, Gloria had a challenge which she did feel might jeopardize her own growth.
Gloria’s manager was going through a personal challenge and this was impacting her own performance at work. She did notice that her manager was not on top of things and was disconnected most of the time. Gloria being an experienced hand did try couple of things to help her manager break through the mindset. However, she did notice that it was an uphill climb and did feel the need to reach out to someone who could quickly work with her.
Now a situation like this is challenging and it must be dealt with accordingly because it can derail not only Gloria’s growth but also the organization’s performance. So, Gloria did take on the role of reverse Coaching her own line Manager. Initially it was not easy for her because Gloria was not used to playing this role.
However, once she did gain some confidence through our coaching engagement, she could make some inroads with her Manager. She, over the weeks stepped up to break through some patterns and made her Manager realize that she was not doing anyone good by wallowing in self-pity.
What also did help in Gloria coaching her Manager to overcome this pattern was the excellent personal equation she did share with her boss. This did make me cajole her to think out of the box and Gloria did step up in this area.
Even though her own growth and the team’s performance was getting compromised Gloria did rise to the occasion to become a better people centric leader. She did take the responsibility and did not wait for the business HR or the super boss to do something. She made the best use of the situation and in my opinion grew exponentially as a great Leader.
It has been over a year since I worked with Gloria in helping her Coach her Manager and even though she has moved on into a new role, she still feels that her biggest learning was during that phase when she had to step into her Manager’s shoes to gently nudge her to move in the right direction.
So as an employee believe me, you will come across all types of situations. However, one of the key aspects which will help you grow as an individual is “Boss Management” How you manage your boss will go a long way in making or breaking your own growth.
Since no company does invest in “Boss Management” it is imperative that you work on this outside of your organization. It will be more than worth its time in gold once you get a heads-up in this area.
Now if you are a New Boss then it is imperative that you work on your own leadership skills and one of the best ways to start this new journey irrespective of if you are a first timer or a veteran with decades of experience is by doing an in-depth analysis of yourself.
Only when you are truthful is when you give yourself the opportunity to grow. Learning and unlearning are part of growth and it is two sides of the same coin.
Over the years working with people closely I have noticed that “Boss Management” is a critical aspect which no company invests on. This is an area which is left to an individual.