Have you ever wondered how to please your boss at work? Well here are some different types of bosses and how to get on their good side.
The Robot can be distinguishing by an empty desk and no family pictures. With them it’s all business, all the time: they are the sworn enemy of fun, levity, and emotion. The Robot would rather you just get to work at all times. While it can be nice to have someone driving you to do your best, it would be nice to feel a little bit of emotional connection from time to time, right?
It may not sound like a lot of fun, but you’ll probably have to hide your own feelings and buckle down to The Robot’s schedule. On the up side, she can teach you discipline and efficiency. Try making allies of your coworkers. They’re probably as frustrated as you are!
The Softy always gives second chances. What they do: They think they’re making things easier on their employees, but in the long run The Softy’s kid-glove approach to management just makes it harder for great workers to succeed and easier for slackers to stick around. Being a boss involves making difficult decisions sometimes, especially when it comes to employees, but The Softy doesn’t seem to realize this.
The worst thing to do is hurt The Softy’s feelings, so try changing things up by commending them on his toughest calls.
The Weasel promises one thing but delivers another. They will say anything – and we do mean anything – to get what they want out of you. The Weasel will try to get a raise, a promotion, and even some time off. Sure, you’ll get what you’ve been dreaming about eventually if you take on extra work or a hellish new project. Or so they say, I wouldn’t recommend you holding your breath for The Weasel to actually deliver.
Completing all the grunt work will get you great distances with The Weasel, but just remember to trust nothing The Weasel says, ever. Your best bet is to get it in writing. A paper trail will be your best defense against lies and false promises.
The Mystery is distinguishing by closed doors and out of office messages.
Who knows what they’re do? The Mystery is an expert at the arts of subterfuge, denial, and … whatever it is they do. Either they’re on a business trip or in a locked-door meeting or plotting world domination all day or … something. Whatever it is, you’re left to your own devices to figure things out, minus any guidance at all. Too bad you’ll still be on the hook if things go wrong. The Mystery man will be gone when it comes down to it. The best thing is to wait it out and give them space.
The Viper is a backhanded compliment giver who always shows a fake smile. The Viper seems like he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed every single morning. From snippy comments about personal matters (“Are you pregnant? Oh, it just seemed like you were gaining weight.”) to undermining your efforts at work (“So you’re just learning Excel, right?”), The Viper has a real talent for making you feel bad about yourself.
How to make them love you: We’re not actually certain that the Viper is capable of loving an employee, so it’s probably best to just stay a good distance away from him. A helpful hint is to keep feelings to yourself, and share as little information about your life as possible.
The Buddy wants to be your friend, not your boss. Too bad for them you’ve already got friends and wouldn’t want to hang with them anyway. From “happy” hours that seem more like a punishment to unfunny jokes that you’ve just got to laugh at (or else!) And don’t get us started on his habit of trying to start questionable relationships with subordinates. It’s just painful to watch.
Laugh at his funnier jokes, but don’t stoop to laughing at every joke – being a suck-up isn’t a great way to maintain your dignity. Say “no thanks” to all the invitations you can, and keep your own interactions with The Buddy on an extremely professional level – you’ll be helping them in the long run, and they’ll respect you for it.
The Miracle is normally fun, supportive, capable, and inspiring. The Miracle is every employee’s dream come true. They do what they say, always follow up, and usually can push you to do your best in a way that makes the hardest work seem like play. If you’re working for The Miracle you’ll know it, from the smile on your face at the end of the day to your rewarding paycheck at the end of the week.
Work your butt off and thank your lucky stars, since The Miracle is like a fairy that doesn’t come along very often. Use this great opportunity to really see how far you can go, and at the end of The Miracle’s tenure, make sure you get a letter of reference!
The Monster lives to make your life horrible, and they are good at it. From embarrassing you in front of the customers to lying about your results to engaging in borderline criminal harassment, The Monster repeatedly demonstrates that they have no pity, human decency, or shame. Unfortunately, with this one you there’s no help. So the best thing to do is to run. Get out.
Number Crunchers are prevalent in IT companies. The Number Cruncher can only read math and statistical analysis, and if your performance appears to be declining on paper rest assured you will get a lecture, even if you’ve been working as hard as you can and your intangibles are helping out the company in other ways.
Give them something they can understand: Numbers and strict analysis. Track your successes (and your failures) with painstaking detail and fanatical devotion. Even if it’s a chore in the immediate future, your data mining will pay off and you will have something on paper that proves you’ve been working hard.
An Innovator’s head is full of big ideas, and they waste no time dreaming them up and then making sure they actually come true. Great for business, but it usually means you get no life outside the office because you’re the one actually making his dream come to life.
When The Innovator is your boss the best thing for you to do is work hard and show commitment, but keep your sense of self outside of work.
The Tuft Hunter as a boss, is always looking for his own next promotion. Does that mean they create an opening for you once they make it up that ladder – or are you merely a rung to be stepped on? That’s something only The Tuft Hunter knows. You’ll might find out too late.
Try to make The Tuft look good as best as you can, and you’ll be one step closer to a promotion of your very own.