4 psychological keys to gaining the trust of a boss

Knowing how to connect with superiors and create good communication channels is crucial.

When I worked in the office environment, I went from getting along poorly with my boss to being recognized by her as a very good member of her team. Along the way, I felt disheartened. It was like walking through a fog. I didn't know where to go, or exactly what to do.

Reflecting on what took me from a point of fragility and vulnerability to one of work and personal confidenceI came to the conclusion that the key was to effectively support my boss. I wanted to support her since I joined the organization, but I didn't do it effectively; I didn't even know how to do it. Universities don't give us that knowledge... and that's a problem.

Creating a trusting work environment

Do you have an overly demanding boss? Have you ever wondered how you can gain his or her trust?

Many times, conflicts within an organization are not caused by a lack of competence on the part of employees and subordinates in general, but by a lack of communication and an atmosphere of mistrust. Here are some tips on how to gain the trust of bosses.

1. Listen carefully to their instructions

This is something very obvious, but every time I leave my house, I realize how little people listen carefully. Often times, the belief that we already know what kind of instructions we are going to receive we tune out and stop listening to what we are being told, and such a simple mistake can cause us toAnd such a simple mistake can lead to serious errors.

When your boss gives you a direction, stop whatever you are doing and concentrate on what he is explaining. If you can, take out a notebook, take notes.

Practice active listening with your boss. The ability to listen is one of the skills that distinguishes a true leader from others.

2. Ask questions without embarrassment

One day when I was very late finishing something pending, a very experienced colleague came up to me and said, "Whenever you have a question, ask it. To me, to your boss or to whomever. Remember that there are no dumb questions, there are only fools who don't ask".

I was very grateful for his advice, because when I first joined the organization, I was a little afraid to ask questions, I was a little afraid to ask questionsespecially because I'm a big questioner. I like to have very clear objectives before getting down to work.

Take this advice from my colleague and don't be ashamed to ask questions! Clarify the details that are not clear from the beginning with your boss and you will see that his confidence in you will gradually increase, because he will see you as someone who cares about his work.

3. Keep him informed of your progress or lack thereof.

I remember back in the day, we had to report something to my boss. Not very pleasant news: we were late on a deadline again.

These things happen quite a lot in the software development industry. They often set very unrealistic deadlines. Anyway, my colleague was afraid of my boss's reaction and said to me:

- Could you inform her?

- Yes, I'll tell her. I got up from my chair to report to her and my partner stopped me:

- Are you going right now?

- Yes, the longer we wait the worse it will be.

I went to report things to him as honestly as I could. Of course I felt embarrassed and nervous, but at the end of the day, I knew I had to do it because it was critical to the project.

My boss's reaction was of course annoyed, but after telling me that she would not accept another delay in an imperative tone, she thanked me for telling her. My partner asked me somewhat apprehensively:

- What did he tell you?

- What he had to tell me, there will be no more extension. We have to finish it right now.

One of your best allies in gaining your boss's trust is to tell him or her both the good and the bad. tell him transparently both the good and the bad. Don't make assumptions about "what your boss wants to hear," just tell him what is. Courageously and honestly tell him/her the good and the bad without fear of retaliation.

There aren't that many people willing to tell the truth in this world, don't you think? For a boss, that's highly valued.

4. Seek to meet their expectations

Entrepreneurs have only one way to survive: meet the needs of their customers.

If you work in an office environment and are not used to entrepreneurship, you might do the following: think of your boss as the most important customer of your "business.

If that were the case, you would do everything necessary to satisfy his or her requirements. Imagining that you are an entrepreneur or business owner, it will be easier to understand how important it is to deliver adequate work from your boss's perspective. That is the most important thing.

You can make a huge effort on the wrong work. Keep in constant communication with your direct boss, follow up on his or her directions, and never expect him or her to come to you and give you the go-ahead.

You may even have to ask him if you're doing it right.. Don't wait for him to give you feedback, because most of them are so busy, they won't even be able to take the time to tell you where you are failing. Be the one to ask, "I'd like to hear from you, in your opinion, where can I improve?

This will be an indication that you really care about meeting the requirements that are being asked of you, not just "looking good for him". Listen very patiently to his constructive criticism without interrupting him.

In light of these tips: what other advice would you give to someone starting out in their career to gain the trust of their boss? I'd love to read and respond to your comments.