By John Kariuki
Charlotte Bahati works in a busy office where getting time to talk to the boss is an uphill task. But Bahati has found a way around it, a fact that has raised suspicion and salacious workplace gossip about her perceived methods of getting the boss’s ear.
Unbeknown to her colleagues, when she wants to ask her boss for anything, she doesn’t simply burst into his office with a litany of issues. Instead, she plans well and gauges his mood accurately. She knows that the worst time to request for official and personal favours is on Monday morning and Friday afternoon. On Mondays the boss is often in a foul mood and on Fridays he checks out early.
Bahati says that it pays to investigate when a European team that he supports wins matches and take advantage of his buoyant mood. A perfunctory enquiry about his family also works well with her boss. But even then she comes straight to the point when making requests.
Reading the boss
"I have seen some of my colleagues get it all wrong by going to him when internal auditors and systems compliance inspectors are around," she says.
Equally shocking, adds Bahati, are the employees who camp outside their boss’ office to vex them with simple issues when he has been chairing day-long crisis meeting.
According to human resources practitioners, knowing your boss’ work objectives and thinking along the same line is the way to his heart. The least that employees can do is to concern themselves with their bosses’ objectives so that you can make them succeed. By doing this, both the juniors and seniors will work harmoniously.
Daniel Muriithi, a human resource manager with one financial institution, says that the bosses’ objectives are often directly tied with the goals of the company.
"These should cascade downwards to the employees if they want to sustain fruitful relationships," he says.
Muriithi advises employees to see the bigger picture, as their bosses expect, when making all their demands including routine leave of absence.
"It is imperative that one suggests ways of recovering time at his or her job when seeking leave of absence," says Muriithi. The boss will see this as responsibility and easily grant the permission. It is such simple steps that count a lot with a boss and he or she will be willing to grant even bigger favours.
Muriithi decries a common situation where some employees wait to be told what to do. He says that a major strategy for getting respect from one’s boss is not waiting to be told or guided on what to do.
"Take initiative and be aggressive in finding out what your boss needs done rather than sitting back and waiting for assignments," says Muriithi.
Steve Kosgey, a newly employed teacher, says that there is power in having a positive mind and a boss easily notices this.
"It does not take much effort to be positive in the workplace and everybody including the boss is obliged to return a favour," says Kosgey.
This teacher does his colleagues small favours like serving them tea and water, and standing in for them during emergencies.
"In effect, I planted a seed of kindness and positivity around me and this has translated to warm relationships," says Kosgey.
Skills to use
He adds that by seeing the positive in every situation, he is now perceived as talented and commands his boss’ respect.
"He always asks me to represent him in meetings, boards and committees and never turns down my personal requests," says Kosgey.
Ms Bernadette Mkadi, a hotel employee, had no problem getting what she wants from her boss. She long realised that hard work pays.
"Anybody who does more than what is required or needed generally stands a better chance of being noticed by their bosses," she says.
Used to going the extra mile herself, Ms Mkadi says that real effort is always rewarding because bosses cannot fail to notice it.
"A boss can always tell when a job has been done with an above-average dedication and gives such employees unfettered access to their offices," she says.
Mkadi advises employees to maintain a low profile in they want to influence their bosses.
"When one is problematic, he or she comes across as an unreliable employee and bosses are wary of such people, even when they have genuine requests," she says.
