Teams

I’ve always believed that my job was to make my boss look good (but, not to make his/her life easy 😉 ).

My team must believe this as well, as they are always all over this. In my job there is an enormous amount of metrics to hit. You can imagine, doing a large and ambitious project makes scorecards important.

Being a data company of tech geeks makes metrics a bit promiscuous.

My team is so outstanding that I must confess, I rarely check my metrics. I know they are great because my team is great, and they will tell me if there is an issue I should know about.

Making my boss look good is a bit more complex than meeting metrics. For him, that’s table stakes. What makes my boss look good is delivering a set of products that make people take notice. Products that deliver measurable business value. Products that inspire, amaze, and highlight the unique value of his organization.

So, this is what my peers and I do — we focus on getting it right and making it happen.

Some days this lofty goal seems completely out of reach. Other days we surprise ourselves with our own success. And then there are days when we achieve a grand slam — an opportunity to make not just a boss but their boss and their boss look good. Those days are great days. Those are the days you are reminded that it was worth the fight.

Those are the days that will pay off in much bigger ways than looking good yourself.

I wish you all the joy that comes from making someone important to you look good. It rocks!

This blog was originally posted on TalentedApps.

I have been in management long enough to have seen a common story play out several times, it goes something like this.

There is a strong team. Each has their own unique strengths, but overall, they all do good work.

The leader departs.

And someone has to be given the lead role. Multiple people want to be considered. Some are more qualified than others. Each think they are the most qualified.

One is chosen. The rest are upset.

The most common next outcome is that eventually everyone gets over it and moves on.

BUT

No one forgets.

Especially the person who was picked to be the leader. That person went from having a peer they could trust, to feeling like the need to watch their back.

So I ask you…

At what point did the person who was not picked reallylose something?

I would offer to you that the real loss was not the missed opportunity but the future opportunities that were also lost. Instead of focusing energy to cement a future promotion, they showed everyone that they were a sore loser.

When you find yourself not chosen, remember that you are being watched. And in that moment, you can show the best or the worst of your authentic self. While you cannot control the outcome of every opportunity, you can certainly stop the opportunity flow by making bad choices.

Don’t let this happen to you. Be the master of your own career and decide that while you cannot control every career outcome, you can control your energy and your attitude.

A bad attitude is never career enhancing – avoid that at all costs.

This blog was originally posted on TalentedApps.

Your Job is to Make Your Boss Look Good

Are You Prepared to Work for Your Peer?