We all want to be on great terms with our boss. Doing a stellar job with the work itself as well as related projects and assignments is an obvious way to win over the higher-ups, but there's more to impressing the big guy or gal than robotically clocking in and going through the 9-to-5 motions.
If you really want to make a lasting impression, it's time to take your game to the next level. Of course, do your work with an A+ effort, but go the extra mile with these 3 tips to making yourself the apple of your boss's eye. No sucking up or kissing butt required. Just be the best version of yourself and show your boss who's really boss! It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Ask for Constructive Criticism
Even if you think you're doing a good job, asking your boss for feedback is not only helpful, but it shows that you are striving to improve within your role and for the company at large. There's always room to grow and learn, and letting your boss know you crave this information makes you a humble, yet go-getter employee.
As per The Muse, "The best thing to do is schedule a meeting with your new boss, and ask for direct feedback. Asking your boss to identify your areas for improvement forces him or her to take an inventory of your work as whole—including everything you're getting right. Moreover, if there's something specific you're doing wrong, you'll know. And, the sooner you do, the sooner you can make a change."
This feedback will help you not only do your job satisfactorily, but better than ever, with tools and techniques you may not have thought of yourself, but are of importance and value to your boss. Al Coleman, Jr., author of Secrets to Success: The Definitive Career Development Guide for New and First Generation Professionals, as posted on Forbesnotes, "If you don't do great work it'll be difficult, if not impossible, to win over your boss. Employees who do good work, consistently, efficiently, and professionally, are a joy to manage and ultimately allow their manager to focus on critical issues within the organization. The less your boss has to focus on your accomplishing your daily tasks, the more he or she can focus on accomplishing his or hers."
The feedback you receive will help you and your employer get to the next level.
Show Initiative
It is easy to take an assignment and complete it from A to Z. But a boss wants more from an employee -to see that you can not only conquer a task at hand, but can be innovative and creative along the way. Bring new ideas to the table and interesting ways of tackling projects.
Initiative means you can feel confident to break the status quo as long as you can exhibit progress and success. As per Business Insider, "If a process or project is broken or dysfunctional, fix it! Or talk to someone who can. If you don't, who will?" Don't be too timid to make your voice heard. Your boss will remember it was you who took the step to make a change for the better and will rely on you for future collaborations.
Additionally, Forbes suggests, "Try to think of valuable projects or assignments that you can start and complete without much supervision or guidance from your boss," as per Coleman. Showing that you don't need to hold your boss's hand at every turn will make you someone to count on.
Get Personal (to a degree)
Bosses are people too. They have interests that extend outside the office walls. If you can see that your boss is receptive to it, during downtime or lunch hour, ask your boss about their weekend plans, how their fishing trip was, or how their children are doing.
Showing interest in their hobbies and talents other than what you know of them as "boss" is a way of getting closer to the true personality and mindset of your boss. Bosses need to vent or chit chat too, so by getting a little closer, he or she will come to you to exchange pleasantries or rehash last night's ball game.
This dynamic makes working together less stressful and well-rounded. As per Forbes, "She'll appreciate your efforts to share in something they find pleasurable, and you may get some invaluable one-on-one time to display your skills and competencies."
When your boss realizes you're interested in them in more ways than one, you become someone who's showing they're all in for the company, not just showing up for a paycheck.
Are you ready to impress? Take this 1, 2, 3 approach to showing your boss you mean more than just business!
Every time payday rolls around, I’m on top of the world. Jeff Bezos-level rich - even though I’m anything but. And then somehow the very next day, rent is due.
The cycle continues. The next payday, bills for my apartment. I find myself without a surplus of savings since I just moved and newly-furnished my apartment completely.
Even more terrifying is the looming presence of the holiday season. Halloween’s officially over and before we know it, hello Thanksgiving…and then there’s Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s. It’s insane.
I’ve been feeling very British lately. Not in a Union-Jack-obsessed, “Keep Calm and Carry-On” way. I went through that phase in 2012 with everyone else… no thank you. And it’s not even a surge of patriotism catalyzed by the Queen dying — I’m firmly team Diana and team Meghan.
Now that fall is officially here, the holidays will sweep in and I’ll have to contend with the fact that I won’t be spending them with my family in the UK. I went home to London earlier this year, so there’s not much left in my travel budget for another trip across the pond. A few domestic jaunts might be in my future, but the closest I’ll get to England this winter is watching Love Island and Love, Actually.
So in that spirit, I’ve been filling my days with content from my favorite Brits. I’m listening to all the old British rock bands I grew up listening to, patiently awaiting the new Arctic Monkeys album, and rewatching anything with Michaela Coel in it. I even shipped myself an order of British Baked Beans, so you know it’s dire.
I’ve also been watching British YouTubers like Grace Beverley — my favorite. Generally, I only go on YouTube to watch Vogue Beauty Secrets and AD Open Door videos. But I’m so glad I stumbled on Grace. Her content is a mix of London lifestyle (what lured me in), relatable entrepreneurship, and mindful productivity. I’m not a hustle-and-grind-girlboss, but as a creative person in a 9-to-5, I need all the help I can get to stay plugged in. So, the video “how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmed” changed my approach to WFH.
Grace outlines her own productivity method: the to-do table. Instead of making a simple to-do list, she divides her tasks into a table that anyone can follow. As someone who’s survived with to-do lists for years, I recently implemented Grace’s method, and it’s revolutionized my workdays.
how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmedwww.youtube.com
I follow her routine to a tee. Here’s how it works:
Essentially, she divides her daily responsibilities into four categories: quick ticks, tasks, projects, and non-negotiables.
- Quick Ticks: Actions that take less than 5-minutes
- Tasks: To-do’s that take up to 30-minutes. Probably don’t take too much brain energy.
- Projects: Long-term list items. These help guide your priorities, even if you’re not crossing them off in one day.
- Non-negotiables: Pick 3 things each day that you must get done. This is how you’ll truly measure success.
With everything written down and sorted, next address your schedule. Meetings, deadlines, and time blocks — whatever works best for you. Write it down. Then make a pact with yourself to stick to them.
This way of categorization provides a roadmap for prioritizing your day — making you far more productive. Have you ever spent the entire day on small tasks and then suddenly realized you hadn’t moved the needle on any task? Or do you spend way too much time on tasks that aren’t a priority? No more. With your non-negotiables laid out, you know what to laser-focus on and what to dedicate energy towards.
Also, it pays to know your working style. I’m not a morning person. Yet, I have to be up and at ‘em super early. So, first thing in the morning, I march through my Quick Ticks to warm me up. I set a time limit, so I can knock out some easy wins which is totally inspiring. Then I move on to bigger things without lingering on emails or admin. For others, it might be more helpful to tackle the big things with all that early-in-the-day brain power earlier.
Grace has great tips on avoiding overwhelm and burnout. My favorite is taking more intentional breaks rather than scrolling through social media. I call this scrolling “productive” because I’m “coming up with pitches.” Oh, the lies we tell ourselves. It’s more productive in the long run to giving my brain a break with non-screen related stimuli.
Grace’s solution? Set a timer to read a real, an actual book. I’ve never thought of this. It’s a genius way to check off some books on my TBR and kickstart my creativity. After reading a good book, I’m completely inspired to write. So having books near my desk helps me step away from the computer during my lunch break for an actual reset. (And yes, the current books I’m reading are by British authors: Assembly by Natasha Brown, and Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalolu.)
In my pursuit of switching out my WFH set-up and getting my life together, I’ve engineered my workstation for success. With my new WFH essentials and Grace’s productivity technique, I’m revitalized for work — despite the fall blues and my melancholy about the pending holidays.
Here are the things getting me hyped for work and helping me crush my Grace Beverley-inspired to-do tables — no lists in sight:
Southwest Airlines Sale 2022
Pack your bags — Southwest Airlines is having a major sale! Fares are as low as $59 one-way if you book by October 3rd.
This end-of-summer super sale is a game-changer for your travel plans through the end of the year. Summertime travel gets all the glory. But why not take advantage of your long weekends, holidays, and PTO this fall. You’ll be surprised at how much travel you can fit in. Keep the fall/winter season exciting with domestic trips that give you all the excitement without breaking the bank. All thanks to Southwest.
Here’s the breakdown:
Where can you go?
You’ll find discounted tickets to and from most airports. Sale fares apply to cross country travel, and even Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean! Whether you’re visiting a new city or revisiting your last beach vacation, this sale has fares to make your travel dreams come true.
What do the fares cover?
Southwest Airlines has multiple fare tiers, each with various benefits. Wanna Get Away fares start at $59, while Wanna Get Away Plus fares start at $89. You can also find great deals on Anytime fares, which offer priority boarding and express lanes. Then there’s Business Select tickets for a luxe experience at an affordable price point.
Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member?
You may think these sale fares are too good to be true. Is there a catch? Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member to access them? You’re in luck — anyone can attain these fares for a limited time.
But, insider tip, you should consider signing up for Southwest Rapid Rewards. With a free sign up, you earn points and miles with each trip you take. And with this sale, each dollar you spend on these discounted tix can stretch super far until you eventually earn free travel. The only thing better than a sale is free stuff.
So pack your bags and brace yourself for those chaotic airport lines. Everyone’s hopping on this deal so get on it. Don’t miss out — grab your sale tickets by October 3rd!
I’ve been browsing the Southwest Airlines site, checking out flights and dreaming.