Throughout my working career I have done some interesting jobs, but when I reflect on them I see a trend. All my jobs usually end up consisting of me being someones personal assistant (PA)- maybe it is the fact that I like to help people or maybe its just my personality suits the position. But whatever the reason I have learned a great deal from being the right hand woman, and I want to share with you a few secrets that employees and also some employers forget.
1. The boss will always be considered the bad guy.
I am lucky to only have had one horrible boss who decided that they disliked me and how I did my work. Sadly for bosses/managers you could be the most it doesn’t always matter how fair you are – you hold the decision making power, and that means that employees look at you differently. It doesn’t mean that they won’t have a drink with you at the Christmas party but if you make a choice they don’t like, you get the scrutiny.
2. Bosses have favorites.
As much as some people like to ignore it or claim that as a boss/manager they don’t have favorites… they do! Imagine that your company is like a family, yep some managers are always going to favor one employee more than the other. It may be your skill level, it may be the length of time your manager has worked with another co-worker, it could be a personality problem… or it could be any one of a number of other reasons. The key to it is, don’t let it affect your work. Be you. Be brilliant. Be proactive. Be a problem solver. Add value. You’ve got this.
3. Office politics are poison to any team or company.
This can happen in any office of any size in any field. In my experience the gossip I have heard has destroyed good working relationships and environments. People take things to heart and when the whispers start it puts doubts in employers, employees, and co-workers minds. If you want to work in a positive environment don’t gossip! Try not to be cliquey, no one deserves to be excluded from lunches etc. because so-and-so told so-and-so that they have been sucking up to the boss for a promotion (whether it is true or not).
4. There are always two sides of the story (…. an extension to the office politics).
I think this is probably the best bit of advice I can give anyone, if gossip is common in your workplace listen to both sides and make your own judgement accordingly. I have saved myself quite a few foot in mouth situations by doing this. Remember not everyone has your best interests at heart. At the end of the day there is competition in the workplace and some coworkers will try and look better than you if they feel threatened. So, filter through the information you receive and make rational decisions before moving forward. This will help you not only advance in your career but also help make reliable working relationships.
5. Bosses take complaints seriously, even when you think they don’t.
Every boss and I mean every boss takes complaints seriously. I had one boss who was fantastic at resolving issues immediately. Some bosses are a bit slower, often times only because they got distracted by other things. If you have an issue bring it up with your boss/manager and if nothing happens straight away just remind them later down the road.
One of the most important things in the workplace is that you work well with your coworkers and bosses. I don’t mean that you should kiss their derrieres but at least communicate with them. When there is a issue bring it up and if you have new ideas let your voice be heard.
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