3 Ways to Make Your Boss Better

We all have a boss.  We all answer to someone.  Board of directors, supervisor, coach, parents or wife.  Even the president of the United States has a boss in the form of millions of citizens.  

We may not be in as crazy a situation like the worker in the following video, but you may see some similarities in this "Office Space" clip.  If you are like me, then you’ve had bosses that have been good and bosses that have needed some improvement.

Hopefully you haven't had any bosses as bad as described in an article in The Muse or from the movie "Horrible Bosses.  In  "Horrible Bosses", three friends have bosses that make their lives miserable, ranging from not fulfilling a promised promotion to sexual harassment.  In the movie, the employees can't quit because they need the jobs.  They decide to do something extreme to eliminate their bosses.  This is not the right way to handle things, obviously.

According to the Harvard Business Review,  workplace discontent is no joke.  Some surveys show that as many as half of American workers feel low levels of work engagement, stemming in part from poor management.

Click here to download

Having a boss that is sub-par is not good for you.  You probably haven’t ever thought of this, but you need for your boss to be better.  Why?  Two reasons:  First, it is the right thing to do.  We want to add value to people and lift people up.  Secondly, it just might make your job and life easier

You can't do something as extreme as the characters in the movie "Horrible Bosses", but I do have three ways that may seem extreme but can actually increase your job satisfaction potential by making your boss better. 

(1) Get Better 

The legendary basketball coach John Wooden liked to say “To easiest way to improve the team is to improve yourself.”  The same goes for a boss.  If you want your boss to be better, then do your job better.  Make it easier on your boss.  Take some stress off of their plate.  Larry Winget, the Pitbull of Personal Development, says

“Kids get better when parents get better.  Wives get better when husbands get better.  Husbands get better when wives get better.  Sales get better when salespeople get better.  Customer service gets better when the people who deliver the customer service get better.  Everything in life gets better when you get better, and nothing in life gets better until you get better.”

If you don’t want to help your boss look better then I question your character.  We should want to make others look good.  If you improve and do your job better, your boss will look better and do better because of the increase in productivity.  You will eventually get rewarded.  Most all bosses will notice you, as well. 

(2) Encourage Them 
Everyone likes a little bit of encouragement now and then.  What are you doing to lift up your boss?  Take a look around.  I bet that very few people at your place of work are encouraging one another.  I am not talking insincere false flattery.  I am talking real compliments when they are deserved and inspiring words of encouragement when things get a little tough.  Bosses may seem secure, self-confident and satisfied but they are people just like you and me.  They need a pick me up once in awhile.  Think about it . . . what is the negative to being an encouragement to your boss?   Anything you can think of doesn’t compare to the positive possibilities.  By the way, October 16th is National Boss's Day, but you don't have to wait until then to do nice things for your boss.  Believe it or not, they are human and humans like gifts and appreciation.  If nothing else, a nice gift of encouragement is to be solution-oriented, not problem-focused.  If you can help make things easier on your boss, this will be very encouraging. 

(3) Volunteer

In the 2015 movie "The Intern" starring Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro, an early scene has DeNiro's character staying late because his boss stays late.  One of the other interns asks him why and he said, “Can’t leave before the boss leaves.”  This might be a movie but generally people that get ahead in life, come early, stay late and do a little bit extra.  Most jobs have more tasks and projects than hours to complete them.  Bosses are under intense pressure to get results.  What do you think their opinion of you will be if you volunteer to do a little bit extra?

Jamy Bechler is a certified John Maxwell leadership coach, speaker and trainer.  You can contact him at Jamy@CoachBechler.com.  You can also subscribe to his leadership newsletter by clicking here.