How to Impress Your Boss

I have loved all my jobs. The secret to that? My relationships with my bosses.

Your relationship with your boss can make or break your experience at work. Employees who have better relationships often find work to be more enjoyable, and less stressful. Also, those with good relationships with their bosses are more likely to get promoted.

You'll be surprised by how simple these tips are, but how rare some employees actually follow them. I've had co-workers who know what they should do, but just aren't doing them.

Mentor new employees, or even co-workers who would like to learn from your years of expertise and experience. Doing this will show that you not only care about your personal accomplishments, but others' well-being as well - in addition to the well-being of the company or organization. Lastly, being a mentor demonstrates that you are a role model employee.

After you're done with a project or assignment, follow up on it. Email or chat with your boss about the project to show that you're dedicated, and worked hard on it. Plus, it shows that you're actually interested in and care about the work you're doing, which is a major plus. I just follow up when I need a break from my work. It's great to talk about the results with your boss so you can improve your work in the future. I always want to get feedback from my boss, and find out what she thinks.

It's okay to disagree but don't put him or her down by implying that the boss is absolutely wrong. Express your thoughts in a respectful, and non-accusatory way, especially in front of others. If anything, talk in private.

Some bosses prefer calls while others prefer email, especially if they're busy, and don't like to be interrupted. If you're unsure, check with your boss about the preferred method of communication.

Before you start a conversation, ask if they are busy - whether this is in person, or on the phone. Invite them to speak with you later. By doing this, you're showing that you understand that everyone is busy, and that you are respectful of that.

If you want your boss to like you, impress her with your productivity to show how important you are to the company. Most employees spend over 60% of their 8-day workdays dealing with interruptions checking their email, looking for stuff, an browsing on the Internet. About one-third of their workday is actually spent working.

Here are some of my own personal tips to stay focused and be productive:

• Plan out your day beforehand. I usually arrive to work about 15 minutes before I'm supposed to so I have time to plan out my day and make sure I keep track of what I have to do.
• Make to-do lists. My personal favorite is Remember the Milk but you can check out the relatively new Todo.ly, another online to-do list and task manager. If you're the paper-and-pen kind of guy, just use a sheet of small paper or a planner.
• Use a free online calendar. I like using Which Time and Famundo to keep track of my appointments, lunches, meetings, project deadlines, and other dates. Google Calendar is great as well since you can get event reminders as emails or text messages, and view your calendar using the mobile browser. If you use more than one calendar, sync them so you don't get forget or overlap events.
• Use reminders. Reminders are great so you don't forget important events. You can set it on your phone or use Google Calendar reminders.
• Complete the most urgent and difficult assignments in the beginning of the day. This allows me to stay more focused since my mind is more fresh in the morning.
• Turn off those notifications that alert you every time you receive an email or text message. You can check emails all at once so you don't get distracted each time.
• Update your address books. Clean out your online email address book or contact list on your cell phone so you don't have to waste your time sorting out old email addresses that people no longer use, or texting the wrong people because they changed their cell phone numbers.
• Set certain times to check your email. I usually check once at 10am, 1pm, and 4pm. That way, I'm not constantly logging into my email.
• Create mailing lists and email groups if you email the same group of people regularly. Check out Fiesta or email programs like Microsoft Outlook and Entourage. By using mailing lists and email groups, you spend less time typing in individual names and emails, and don't have to worry about emailing the wrong people or forgetting someone.
• Write emails in advance. Follow up with people who have not responded to your emails. Organize your email inbox. You can do all of these tasks to make your life easier with Boomerang for Gmail. You can read more about it here.

Thank your boss when necessary. One of my former bosses used to give me cookies, compliments, and advice. She was really nice, and so, I made the effort to thank her for her gestures in person and with cards. You can also send emails to your boss when appropriate. Knowing that someone appreciates you makes your day so be sure to give thanks.

When you attend meetings, it's important that you don't just sit back.

Make sure you:

• Take notes
• Share ideas
• Arrive on time
• Pay attention instead of sleeping, texting, doodling
• Better yet, turn off your cell phone or put it on silent (one company I worked for even had a tradition of putting all cell phones in the middle of the conference table once we came in)
• Respond to other people's ideas, comments
• Ask relevant questions

What kind of boss does not like a proactive employee? Rather than wait for instructions or for the next assignment, why not ask your boss for a project you would like to do? Ask your boss how you can help. If you don't understand an assignment or project, don't be afraid to ask your boss to clarify things. If you have an idea for the company or your department, share it with your boss, and teammates. Try to move one step ahead of your boss by anticipating concerns or questions so you can prepare to handle them, and to make your boss' life easier. If you're concerned or unhappy about something, definitely communicate these concerns to the appropriate people in order to keep your work environment healthy and supportive.

It's important that you keep your word and follow through. If you volunteered to complete a task, make sure you do it. Your boss will most likely remember that you volunteered, and that the task was your responsibility.

Work with your teammates and the other people in your department rather than try to take credit for everything. Give credit where credit is due. Share information rather than keep it to yourself. Avoid talking behind someone's back, or trying to separate yourself too much from your co-workers. Employers like team players because collaboration is important. If you notice that your co-workers are stressed out about a task, offer them advice and ask how you can help.

If your boss makes a recommendation about improving something, don't take that as an insult that your work isn't good enough. Be open to feedback, and take some of the suggestions.

Out-of-office events are usually a drag for me but I do make the effort to show up every once in a while when I can. My boss remembers every event that I attend so it's important to make that effort to show that you care enough to make time to show up. For huge holiday companies, I go in for about half an hour, and if I get bored, I just leave early, usually after a main toast. However, all my boss and co-workers care about is that I stopped by -- even though I left early.

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