We all have a chief in our lives. Probably several chiefs. I don’t mean the comic character himself. I’m referring to the people that serve as managers, bosses, team captains…any leadership position that lends itself to a certain amount of decisions, delegations, and establishing goals/purpose. Be it Scott Summers, The Chief, Tony Stark, (coming soon) Negan, or Steve Rogers, you will encounter these people throughout your life, and they will have their own quirks. Here’s a brief guide on how to make these relationships work in your favor.
Not the Chief you had in mind? Too bad, she was awesome.
At Work:
-Be civil. ‘m serious. The first step to make a good impression is to have an open mind and use good manners. Greet them when they enter the room. Be friendly. Answer questions when asked.
-Do your homework. If you are entering a new job, then find out what you an about the organization, including the hierarchy. Large employers will have some sort of online presence; read the resumes of those relevant to your case. If you have the time and interest, and your boss has a relevant product (for example, it’s an academic position and they’ve written a book) then participate accordingly (read the book, or at least know the title chapters).
Salary negotiations don’t have to be in a cone of silence
-Try to interact in natural situations with coworkers. There’s no need to badmouth your supervisor at every turn, plus you never know who is friends with whom under the circumstances.
Yes, this was considered acceptable at some point.
I’ll focus on the positive that they were championship level workers.
Stay positive, people!
-Make your expectations, don’t wait for them. Some bosses will have a set plan for everyone and have no exceptions. Be honest with yourself if that won’t work for you. If your situation is far on the other end of the spectrum, and you feel lost in the environment, say so.
-Know where you stand (DON’T use those words if the person is in a wheelchair, please!) The point is, you will likely have some sort of regularly scheduled review. Don’t wait for it. A quick email asking if there are any necessary improvements can do wonders. Even better, go back to what your written expectations were and show your boss how you met or exceeded those metrics so far. This will give you the necessary data o ask for a promotion or raise.
At Home:
-Don’t be the chief of everything. Conversely, don’t let others be the chief of everything. Find a balance of some sort. We all have areas that we will gravitate towards because of personality or expertise. It’s great if one person enjoys paying the bills and the other doles out chores. You’ll inevitably have holes where neither partner (or other household members ) want to tackle some necessary task. Try to split those into reasonable parts (“I’ll clean the basement if you do the yard work”), or alternate times (“I’m doing the dishes this week, you do them next week”) what ever works for you.
-Open dialogue is key. Do I really need to say this? (based on personal experience, yes. Yes I do.)
-Calendars and lists are a treasure. It’s hard to get angry when you see things with clarity. Online or paper, do what works for you.
For Yourself:
-You are the Chief. There is no delegating from yourself. Treat yourself accordingly. Every point note applies to your inner psyche.
If this your work environment, consider alternatives
I hope these hints are helpful. There are plenty of people that have made it their life’s work to improve the lives of others in this fashion. I have some personal recommendations (no sponsors or conflicts noted) and I’m sure there are plenty of others if you want to be the best person you can be:
–Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz
-Any book by Cal Newport (my favorite is So Good they Can’t Ignore You)
–Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson, MD
Thank you, and have the best week you can!
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