How to gain favor from your boss?
[Workplace Interpersonal Relationship Series]
▲According to the teachings of the Bible, subordinates must obey the orders of their superiors.
How important are interpersonal relationships in the workplace?
In today's society, most adults spend most of their time in the workplace. According to statistics, the average person spends an average of 8.3 hours at work every day. If sleeping time is deducted, we may spend more time at work than at home when we are awake. Our daily interactions with others in the workplace and our relationships with our bosses, colleagues or subordinates often affect our emotions. Poor interpersonal relationships are extremely harmful to our physical, mental and spiritual health.
The Lord Jesus tells us: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it, which is, you shall love and have mercy as yourself. These two commandments On which all the law and prophets rest.” (Matthew 22:37-40) So who is our neighbor?
In today's busy society, we may not interact with our neighbors next door; but our colleagues work with us every day, and they are our closest "neighbors." How are we related to each other? Do they live in harmony and enjoy working together? Is our work environment and workplace atmosphere ideal? We spend so much time at work every day, don’t we want to improve the working environment?
The Lord Jesus said that we are the salt of the world and the light of the world (see Matthew 5:13-14). How can we play the role of salt and light in the workplace every day? How to build good relationships? How to influence life with life? How to create a good working environment and workplace atmosphere? These are all issues worth pondering.
According to the survey, the reason why most people leave their jobs is that they don’t like their boss or they can’t get along with their boss and have to leave their current job. Therefore, we can also say that having good interpersonal relationships with your boss is a prerequisite for success in the workplace. This article will first discuss the relationship between subordinates and bosses, and then discuss how to get along with colleagues and the art of leading subordinates.
How to win the trust and appreciation of your boss?
First we need to ask ourselves three questions:
1. Why should my boss hire me?
2. What does my boss expect from me?
3. What does my boss dislike most about me?
Knowing yourself and your enemy and empathy are prerequisites for building relationships. The Lord Jesus taught us: "No matter what, treat others as you would have them treat you, for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12) Confucius also said: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. , don't do it to others." These golden rules of life, also known as "empathy," remind us that if we can put ourselves in the shoes of our boss, our thoughts and actions may be different. If I were a boss, what kind of subordinates would I want to find? Every boss hopes that his subordinates will be honest, capable, and loyal people who support him.
Therefore, to win the trust and appreciation of your boss, you must do the following:
1. Obey your superiors with a heart that fears the Lord, pursue excellence in everything, and be loyal and reliable.
The Bible teaches us: "Servants, obey your physical masters in everything. Do not serve just for the sake of sight, as if you were a people-pleaser, but with an honest heart that fear the Lord. Whatever you do, do it from your heart, like Work for the Lord, not for men, for you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.” (Colossians 3:22-24) If subordinates are dishonest, they will not be able to win the trust of their superiors; they will not perform outstandingly at work. It is also difficult to win the appreciation of your boss. Therefore, we must not only rely on the Lord wholeheartedly and strive for excellent results, but we must also communicate deeply with our boss frequently and report honestly so that he or she understands our work progress and status (for the convenience of writing, the boss’s information is mentioned below He, or she), so that he can keep abreast of the situation at all times, do not report good news or bad news, and try to avoid accidents caused by you. After all, all bosses don’t like sudden panic and accidents, and they don’t like being caught off guard because of unknown situations.
▲Supervisors deserve the sincere respect of their subordinates. Image source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/USNsalute.jpg
2. Understand the vision and ambition of your boss, support him (her), and share his (her) labor and worries.
Every boss has his own mission and vision, and what he needs our help with is the strategies and actions to complete the mission. If we can understand his or her vision and ambition, seek divine wisdom through prayer, and provide timely solutions to problems, we will surely win the trust and appreciation of our boss.
In the Bible, after Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream, he transformed from a prisoner to prime minister overnight; Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which also made him immediately promoted. These are examples we can learn from. The boss hires us to help him (her) solve difficulties and enable him (her) to successfully complete the task. Especially when he (she) encounters a problem or crisis, if we can help solve it in time, he (she) will definitely be impressed by us.
3. Wear humility, openly support your boss, and never gossip about him or her behind his or her back.
Every boss hopes to have loyal support and support from his subordinates, especially in public situations. If we have different views from our boss, we should express them sincerely to him or her in private, and do not oppose the boss in public or challenge his or her authority. I agree with what Pastor Andy Stanley said: "Loyalty publicly results in leverage privately."
We must be good at listening, diligent in thinking, and make suggestions at the right time. We must also be proactive, bravely accept challenges, and be willing to accept difficult tasks that others do not want to shoulder. When things are accomplished, we should not take credit for them, but humbly give glory to them. God and the team; if you fail, don't make excuses or shirk the blame, just review carefully and have the courage to take responsibility.
▲Understand your boss’s hobbies. For example, does your boss like baseball? Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball#/media/File:Angels_Stadium.JPG
4. Understand your boss’s personality, interests and hobbies, and listen to what he or she has to say.
We work with our bosses every day, and we must know ourselves and our enemies in order to get along well with each other. Not only should we have good communication on official business, but we can also sometimes talk about our lives and experiences. If we win the trust and respect of our boss, he or she will be willing to open up, express his or her feelings, and even talk about difficulties and worries, and he or she will also be willing to listen to our opinions. If we understand the personality of our boss, we can respond wisely.
If we know the interests and hobbies of our boss and are willing to cooperate to learn and appreciate them, the topics will be broader and the conversation will be more interesting. If your boss likes baseball, even if we don't play baseball, we should at least understand some baseball knowledge and news. For example, in 2016, the Chicago Cubs won the World League Championship for the first time in 108 years. The championship game, in particular, was thrilling and climaxed, causing a nationwide sensation. If your boss brings up such a topic, can you have a pleasant conversation with him or her?
5. Be humble and obedient, be cautious, and respond appropriately to advances and retreats. Respect your boss's family and don't judge them.
After we win the appreciation of our superiors, we must be more careful in our words and deeds, and we must not be arrogant or overstep our boundaries. The Bible teaches us: “Anyone who is a servant under a yoke must treat his master as worthy of full reverence, so that God’s name and word will not be blasphemed; a servant who has a believing master must not despise him because he is a brother; much more Serve him with all your might, for he who receives the benefit of service is the one who believes and is loved.” (1 Timothy 6:1-2) We should respect our boss even more if he is willing to share his weaknesses and difficulties with us frankly ( She), do not look down upon him (her), let alone reveal his or her privacy casually. Respect his or her family members, do not criticize behind their backs, and do not discuss their rights and wrongs with others.
It will never do us any good to offend our boss or his family. As the saying goes in the West, "The boss is not a buddy." The ancient Chinese also often said, "Accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger." They also said, "The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water, and the friendship between villains is as sweet as honey." In the workplace, We must abide by the boundaries of our duties and recognize our own responsibilities. Only by having a correct attitude and communicating intelligently can we appreciate and respect each other, live in harmony and cooperate happily.
Author profile Lin Fengliang served as chairman and CEO of Payless Car Rental System Inc., one of the six largest car rental companies in the United States, from 1989 to 2013. Currently, he is a director of the Christian Messenger Association and is dedicated to the ministry of workplace missions and corporate transformation.