CAREER SPECIAL ................Know thy boss!

Know thy boss!

In order to have a satisfactory job experience, it is vital that you identify the personality traits of your boss and ‘manage' him/her accordingly

It has now become an understood fact that job satisfaction begins and ends with the boss. Experts have time and again pointed out that when people resign, they do not leave a bad company, but a bad boss. So, in order to manage your career, you need to first manage your boss. And if you want to have a better relationship with your boss, it helps to know what kind of boss he or she is - remarkable, toxic or perilous.
So, how does one identify and find out whether the boss is remarkable, toxic, or perilous? Sesha Dhanyamraju, head strategy and M&A, MphasiS explains, "The best way to identify is to take into account multiple stimuli, which include observing boss's behaviour in different situations – one-on-one, in groups, public, private, with direct reports, with employees at lower levels, with customers and suppliers, etc. The biggest strength of remarkable bosses is people-handling - their ability to relate to others. Remarkable bosses thrive on getting the best out of others, genuinely care about others around them and are energy givers. Toxic bosses may have fixated opinions resulting from deep biases, which may be hard to change. Such bosses can harbour ill-will towards certain employees, certain sections and may use opportunities to act on those biases. And finally, perilous bosses can often be hard to satisfy. They are always seeking opportunities to be critical. Unfortunately, they do not delegate, empower or demonstrate trust."
According to Arun Kumar, corporate head – human resource, Liberty, "It is pretty simple to understand whether your boss is remarkable, toxic or perilous. Remarkable bosses are focused on the growth and success of the business. They are well-versed with the aspirations of their team members and drawn to achieving goals. As the name suggests, toxic bosses are the worst of the lot. They are not team players and are only concerned about their professional growth. They have little or no concern regarding the impact of their behaviour on others. Perilous bosses are intelligent, sensible, but they are the constantly discontented, dissatisfied type. Since they are moody, they are inconsistent in their management styles and at times, might be reluctant towards leading a team."
A remarkable boss leaves you feeling more energised; is a promoter of your brand, informs Ashok Saxena, head, Engineering Centre, Kronos. "A toxic boss leaves you with a feeling of impending doom; would like to provoke reactions out of you; may enjoy playing politics. And, in the case of a perilous boss, you may dread your meetings with this kind of boss; they may have very specific likes and dislikes," he shares. Saxena expresses, "Irrespective of the type of boss, they all like to have employees who tend to give high ROI. Ensure that your boss understands and values the benefit you bring to the organisation. Provide innovative suggestions and ideas. Stay away from company politics, and show him/her the value that you bring to the organisation. Do the good work and keep on updating the progress to him/her."
"Handling a remarkable boss is relatively easier if your wavelength matches his/her thinking. By becoming a force multiplier to the boss' efforts, one can realise greater personal growth and career enhancement. Look for ways to help the boss grow himself/herself," Dhanyamraju suggests ways to handle a remarkable boss. In terms of a toxic boss, he suggests, "It is best to develop one's support network that one can lean on when faced with a toxic boss. If all else fails, it may be appropriate to look for other opportunities within the organisation where the environment is more conducive."
Kumar further gives suggestions on ways to manage a perilous boss and says, "The biggest thing that can help you manage a perilous boss is to understand their work style. It is advisable to have a conversation with them before you start on a project to understand what their expectations are from you. You should try building a rapport with them. Since perilous bosses are intelligent and sensible, they are open to taking feedback or having conversations. Once you build a rapport with them, you can further highlight to them the concerns of the team. Work with them towards developing effective management style by highlighting the concerns of the team." Dhanyamraju adds, "Embrace ambidexterity – be a mentor and mentee at the same time. Be led by the boss and at the same time, help him/her be comfortable dealing with both objective and subjective data."
So, no matter what kind of a boss you have, if you identify his/her type and do the right things, be assured that your journey in your job will be smooth and fruitful.

- Yasmin Taj asc120320