Last month, I shared how to lead with a servant’s heart, and today, I’m going to shift things around to the other perspective, and that is how to work with your boss in order to feel supported.

All of us, no matter our job titles, are leaders in some roles and followers in others.

So just as you might be able to apply ideas of servant leadership even though you aren’t the boss, this information can apply if you are the boss in other areas like community organizations, worship settings, client relationships, and even family dynamics.

Feeling like you have the support of your superiors is vital to your success in any endeavor. You perform better, your morale is uplifted, and the company is more likely to succeed, regardless of whether you work in a for-profit industry or the nonprofit world.

Of course, the opposite is true as well. When you don’t feel supported at work, you’re less likely to invest yourself in the position and its success. According to Gallup research, half of today’s employees will ultimately leave a job because they don’t feel supported by their boss.

While it might feel as though you don’t have much control over how much support you get or don’t get from your boss, building a supportive relationship is a two-way street. Here are a few steps that will help you foster a relationship that leads to you feeling supported by your superiors:

1. Assume the best of intentions.

Sometimes when people have a challenging boss, they make the assumption that the boss is out to get them, or just a bad operator in general. The reality is, this is rarely the case.

Most people act with good intentions most of the time. So start from the frame of mind that your boss has good intentions for the company and for you. That’s going to put you in the mindset of problem-solving to get what you want, rather than feeling sorry for yourself.

Remember that you’re on the same team and ultimately your goals are the same.

However, I do have one caveat to this. If your boss is not supporting you by purposely keeping you out of the loop in a project, that’s different. That’s disrespecting you and it’s not acceptable.

2. Consider what makes them tick.

Often, when we don’t feel supported, it’s simply because of personality conflict. You two have different ways of viewing the world.

For example, you might be a warm, caring, “people person.” Your boss comes across to you as cold or aloof. But once you think about what’s really going on, she’s more persuaded by analysis, numbers, and hard facts, whereas you value stories and relationship-building. By shifting how you communicate with her, you can better meet her expectations, which will make her more willing to support you.

Put some thought into what your boss’s leadership style is, their communication style, and even their moods throughout the day and work week. You might begin to notice factors that you hadn’t considered before.

For instance, maybe your boss is feeling heat from their superiors, and that’s trickling down to you. Once you know what’s making them act the way they do, you can address it appropriately.

3. Invest in your relationship, with a frank conversation if necessary.

Once you’re assuming the best, and considering things from their perspective, you might begin to notice patterns. See if you can adjust your behavior to improve the working relationship. This might be as simple as dropping by their office more often because they like face-time with you, or require a more formal conversation to meet each other’s needs.

Let’s extend the example from before where you realize they’re being pressured to improve performance by their superiors and that’s tricking down to you. Now you have some understanding for the conflict that keeps arising where you like to talk in person or over the phone, and they’re always sending short, dismissive emails that leave you scratching your head.

It’s time to sit down and have a conversation with your boss about this situation. I wrote a few weeks back about keeping your cool in difficult conversations, so I recommend you read that closely, but keep in mind that you want to approach the chat from what they’ll get out of it. In this scenario, you can improve your performance if you’re getting clearer communication from your boss. Ask for a weekly sit-down to clear up any confusion.

Re-evaluate After You’ve Taken a Proactive Approach

Often, it’s what gets left unsaid that leads to conflicts in interpersonal relationships. By addressing the problem assertively and compassionately, you’ll most likely be feeling more supported by your boss already.

If that’s not the case, and after trying all of these steps in earnest you still feel unsupported, it might be time for you to consider changing your working relationship. You deserve to feel supported and respected in every endeavor.

At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I support my clients in creating the career they want using a proven system for reaching sales, business growth, and personal development goals.

Are you ready to feel supported as you build your career? Contact me today.

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Blueprint Magazine – Volume 4

“Celebrating Generations”

In this latest issue of The Blueprint, several articles focus on what to do as spring draws to a close and summer begins so that you can smartly meet your professional and personal goals. Articles are written by authors spanning all generations, filled with knowledge to inspire and motivate you.

Here is a sampling of what you will discover in this edition…

• The Best Gift Of All by Pauline Duncan-Thrasher
• Are We There Yet? by Joan Williams
• The Women of Global Change Youth Initiative by Cheyenne Hunt
• The Rise Of The New Economy by Cynthia Mabry
• In Life and In Work, Be Anything But Common by Celeste Giordano
• The Importance Of Reviewing Quarterly by Brigitta Hoeferle
• The Technology Buying Cycle: How Often Should Your Business Update Its Technology? by Jason Rush
• When It’s A Mistake To Hire A Writer & When It’s The Right Move by Katherine Copeland
• Ultimate Mission Impact: There Is Only One Solution by Sheree Allison
• and much more!

My hope is that The Blueprint inspires you in all aspects of your life – to grow your business, to prosper in your personal life and to serve the community and world around you.

Click here to subscribe for your free copy.

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus^TM” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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