Published on March 30, 2011
As soon as an employee starts working, he begins to think in terms of what he expects from his job, his boss and his company. But ask almost anyone as to what the boss expects from them and you will only get vague, generic or even baffled responses.
Don't most of us either overlook such ‘nitty-gritty' things or just assume we know what is expected of us? Yet, the answer to this fundamental question can unveil the formula for immense career success. After all, only by identifying what your manager expects from you will you be able to deliver on the expectations and provide positive contributions to the organisation.
Not only will this help build a better relationship with the boss but will also keep you in line for more perks, raises and promotions!
And if you are still not convinced then consider this: according to a recent employee survey, one of the top 10 reasons why employees suffer from workplace stress is the fact that they do not understand what their employer expects of them.
They don't know if they are delivering what their employer wants and therefore don't know if they are doing their job right.
Do it right: Ignorance of your boss' expectations can kill your career. Yet, hardly any manager ever sits down to openly explain and discuss his expectations from the staff. Therefore, the onus is on you to seek out and understand what is required of you.
While every boss will have his set of expectations (this may even vary from employee to employee), following are some broad pointers on the same:
The first expectation is pretty obvious. Every manager will expect employees to understand the work, fulfil job duties and deliver quality work on time. You have to work hard, follow through on what you say you are going to do and strive to achieve goals even under pressure. Also, prove that you are professional, loyal, dependable, resourceful, positive, engaged and creative at all times.
Teamwork is the name of the game today, so willingness to collaborate should go without saying. You have to be a team player who is cooperative, communicates well and gets along with others.
Staying current is an unwritten job requirement. You should regularly read new material and network with people so as to be aware of what is going around you in the company, industry and market in general.
Keep your eyes and ears open to what is happening in the world and how it can affect your work, your organisation, the customers and even the competition. This will also enable you to anticipate changes, problems, risks, threats and opportunities before they can arise.
You are expected to step forward and get involved in every aspect of your job and department/organisation. Be ready to step in and help sort problems, mediate conflicts, tackle challenges and never shy away from difficult tasks. Also, be willing to step up even if the outcome is uncertain.
Your boss expects you to not only do your job but also be innovative and generate ideas, solutions and strategies that will benefit both the company and employees. Instead of playing it safe, try to come up with new approaches and solve problems whenever possible.
You are in charge of your own professional development and are required to take the initiative to contribute to your own growth. Try to stretch your abilities and grow on your own by seeking feedback on your performance, taking on new, demanding tasks, expanding your existing skills or even learning new ones.
Simultaneously, you should also help your colleagues to improve performance and develop new skills.
Apart from this, the boss also expects you to maintain open and honest communication with him. Proactively keep him abreast of your work, raise issues affecting your performance or the team and regularly sound him out for improvements.
Fulfilling managerial expectations can seem quite overwhelming. But once you start discussing the expectations with your manager and ask questions, the task will become less daunting. You can even speak to other successful employees and seek insight on how to live up to the expectations.
Last but not the least, align your expectations with those of the boss and you will be one of his best people indeed!
Payal Chanania
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