Appealing to the boss isn’t done via osmosis

It’s funny to hear from career-minded professionals who are still caught up in the idea that the boss should know your value. Or that the board to should see your potential. Or that the project you want will dive into your lap one day because you gaze longingly enough at the need.

None of this is true.

The truth of the matter is the boss and the powers that be that could give you that project are busy. They have their eyes on all the spinning plates surrounding them.

They barely have enough time to see past the emails in the Inbox or the papers in your in-tray.

This however is an excuse to admit defeat and disappear into the workplace shadows. It’s more a call to arms to take control of the situation.

Here’s the best ways to get the boss to notice you when you need it the most in a professional and appealing way

One of the common ways to trip yourself up in a workplace is feeling like we’re the only person that has a substantial amount of great work under our belt. Most of us do what we are needed to do. Some of us perform above and beyond the call of duty.

Each of us has a lot of obligation to meet. Including your boss.

In fact, anyone that is managing people has an inordinate amount of work on their plate. Some of it is straight ahead, like filling the role they have been hired to do. Most of it however takes style and finesse and is dependent on other people.

Step inside the role of a people manager.

As a boss, you have the responsibility of doing your own work as well as making sure other people do theirs. A boss also acts as that first layer of supervision and must carry out this role with a delicate balance of friendship, suitable distance and authority in mind. That’s not easy, especially if you have been hired within an organisation.

Bosses are accountable to other bosses for a whole range of people and their behaviour. They are also often the first line in dispute resolution and in looking after the general welfare of people on their team. This is the person that champions you behind closed doors and may publicly have to take less charitable responses from you if your needs aren’t met.

A boss takes an awful lot of responsibility on and is usually in a thankless role.

That’s why helping make their life easier will get you much further faster than adding to their already full plate. The more you respond with compassion, the more you’ll stand out.

Don’t be afraid to negotiate

The more you negotiate, the more you earn and the more you can get where you want quicker. And the more you show the companies and bosses and the world you work with that you value yourself, the more they believe the same.

Asking for a salary increase is not about greed. It is not about the end game. It is one of the strongest forms of self-belief you can share with other people. By saying you are worth it to others, you are priming them to see that within you.

The attitude you adopt towards your self-worth is infectious.

If you sit back and wait for people to see it, they probably won’t. We have a hard-enough time seeing everything we need to do in a day or as ourselves as individuals. Seeing other people and their potential in a crowd is a rarity.

You will not be plucked like a latter-day movie star from behind the coffee shop counter to star in an epic that defines the ages anymore. You also are highly unlikely to catch a watchful eye of a nurturing boss who sees the potential in you as the leader of tomorrow.

You have to grab that torch and hold it aloft.

You have to make the statement that you are worth it in deed, in action, and yes, by asking for it.

And you do that by appealing to your boss in the following ways:

• Accepting your worth without apology
• Remaining visible
• Learning how to negotiate
• Reaffirming your value
• Adding value to the company
• Reminding people of that value
• Growing your influence and aptitude

Become proactive about your career

Proactivity is often confused with pulling long hours and always working weekends. True proactivity is looking at ways to reduce the excess hours and find a better way.

Take initiative to solve problems. Think about the areas of improvement within your organisation. Don’t settle for the “this is the way it is” but don’t moan and groan either.

Come armed with a solution and be willing to get your own hands dirty.

Anyone can identify a problem. A true future leader will find a way to fix the problem and take ownership of implementing it.

Think about the company’s bottom line or resource issues. Do your research and see where the problems lie. Pitch the project that will save the day.

You’d be surprised how many companies have a wealth of information and data they simply aren’t using to great effect. You can trend all manner of internal and external behaviour to create a full and lasting picture of where the company is headed. And you can usually see where the problems lie.

And even if you don’t find the great white solution on your journey, you’ll have greater empathy for the managers in your team through understanding more of the picture.

It can also open your door to new areas of study you may not have considered or refining your own skills to become the solution in the future.

Remember, anyone can say something isn’t working.

It takes a truly proactive and responsible person to try and understand why it isn’t working on a deeper level. And to take ownership of either alleviating the problem or fixing it outright.

Be what a manager wants

Appealing to the boss to move your career further is not about waiting for them to give you want you want.

Consistency, reliability and ability – these are all important skills to have. So too is an attitude that doesn’t create drama or friction in the workplace. We all know our areas of improvement. They don’t always come down to book smarts and experience levels.

Critically analyse who you are and what you offer to your manager.

Are you a team player? If not, how can this attitude improve?

Are you dependable and reliable? If not, what do you need to change to create better habits?

Are you as skilled as you could be? If not, how can you sharpen those skills in the short, medium and long term?

If you hunger to be the manager of the future, you need to be the ally of the manager today.