Many people believe they have to worry about pleasing only their higher-ups. They believe if their boss is happy with them everything is going to be perfect. The reality is, your boss’s perception of you is largely going to be a reflection of how everybody else in the organization feels about you.
Build alliances and rapport with the whole team
Following are several ways to build rapport with everyone—your boss included—in your skin care facility.
1. Lend a helping hand—and not just to the boss. When you don’t have to share your time, energy or knowledge with someone, but do so anyway, you’ll earn that person’s lasting respect and loyalty.
2. Don’t let anyone have anything negative to say about you. It is important that everyone you come in contact with at your skin care facility has a positive experience with you. How your boss views you will be heavily influenced by what people in the company tell her.
3. Think of your company before yourself. When you show that you’re willing to sacrifice your own interests for the good of the team, you’ll have gotten a huge head start on putting your name on the promotable list.
4. Don’t agree to anything you don’t fully understand. Whether working with a client or a colleague, it’s always better to swallow your pride and say, “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. I need you to explain.”
5. When you’re upset, choose to look forward, not back. Resolve to channel your thoughts and efforts toward playing the hand you’ve been dealt in a way that will benefit you the most and preserve your relationships.
6. Learn to appreciate diverse work styles. Always try to seek out and utilize your team’s talents, even if you don’t understand their methods. You can never be sure you have the best answer until you’ve heard all viewpoints.
7. Own your mistakes. If you’re a hardworking, valued employee, when you do own up to your mistakes, your confession will be viewed as a sign of strength, not weakness.
8. Be a good steward of the little things. When you pay attention to small, often-overlooked details, you’ll distinguish yourself from the pack.
9. If you want to be a leader, act like one. The best way to move up in the ranks is to lead in whatever position you’re in now—display leadership qualities by providing others with helpful feedback, and treating them with respect.
10. Do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it. Yes, meeting deadlines sounds like a no-brainer. But you’d be surprised by how many professionals don’t live by this rule.
11. Don’t complain about your job to your coworkers. If your comments get back to your boss, she will think your behavior is unprofessional, and she’ll wonder why you didn’t talk to her directly.
12. Don’t pick fights. Avoid subjects that could lead to heated arguments, such as religion and politics. And if someone seems determined to antagonize you, either talk to her privately to see if you can come to a resolution or bring the matter to a supervisor.
13. Don’t badmouth your coworkers. These comments have a way of getting back to the people they’re about. Even if the other person never becomes aware of what you said, your colleagues will still make judgments about your character based on your willingness to bash someone else behind his or her back.
14. Never forget: Everyone is important. Don’t become so focused on pleasing your boss that you forget to develop positive relationships with the rest of your colleagues. Those relationships will directly shape your professional reputation, which will be just as instrumental as your résumé in achieving the success you want.
Ben Carpenter is an author and the vice chairman of CRT Capital Group, a 300-person institutional broker-dealer located in Stamford, CT.