Chapter 9: No Sucking Up – Bosses, Your Key Customers

Know Your Boss’s Job
Whether you are hoping to replace your boss as he or she moves up, or you are looking at another position, you need to come to know your boss’s job fairly well. You should become so aware of what he or she does on a daily basis that if they were suddenly gone (sick, dead, left the company, etc.,) you would be the logical choice to replace him or her. This is not to say you want their job, but that you could do it to benefit your company if called upon.
The other, and perhaps more important aspect of knowing your boss’s job, is if you know what he or she does, you probably also understand how you can be helpful to him or her. When you provide real help and support to your boss, both of you look better and get more accomplished. Of course, there is also a very high likelihood that your boss will play a key role in your eventual promotion. Being a team player with your boss puts you on the right team. More often than not, it will be your direct supervisor, manager, or boss who helps you move along the corporate ladder more than any other person. Strengthening this relationship is vital.

To some, this may start to look like sucking-up. It is most certainly not. Just as we have discussed all along, you are looking for ways to be more valuable to your company. Knowing the responsibilities and roles played by the people above and below you is essential. A good boss will be wise and know that investing some training in you is also good for him/her and the company.
Know Your Boss
Ok, we are going to tread lightly on this subject because sometimes there is a fine line between being a great subordinate and sucking-up. The fact is, you need to view your boss, (the person(s) who could promote you,) very much as if they are your customers.
As I work at dozens of companies, mostly around the US, I always teach people that they are both a customer and a supplier to others. If you work as a welder, maybe people bring you metal parts to be welded. You are their customer and they are your supplier. If you work as a secretary and someone asks you to give the boss a message, that person is a supplier and you are their customer. You are also the supplier to your boss which makes them (your boss,) your customer.
I hope that is clear. It goes something like this:

Supplier Delivers To —>Customer —>
Customer Becomes Supplier & Delivers to —> Customer and so on and so on‚Ķ

In most workplaces the customer-supplier relationships will be obvious. If they aren’t obvious, take a good look at what you do for people and what people do for you. You should begin to see many aspects of your interaction that look like customers and suppliers collaborating for the greater good.
As a customer what do you expect? I know I have a number of expectations when I am at a store, restaurant, the DMV, a hospital, etc. Very often the “suppliers” fail to ensure that I have a good experience and that I am happy with my purchases or the “customer service” I receive when patronizing their establishments.
As Customers All We Want Is:

• Perfect Quality
• A Great Low Price
• Excellent Service
• On-Time Delivery
  • Usually that means (Right Now!)
• Exact (or Better) Specifications Met Every Time Including Things Like:
  • Color
  • Quantity
  • Shape
  • Style
  • Size
  • Etc‚Ķ

This list could actually get very long. We all have a list of demands from those companies where we purchase goods and services. If they treat us right and give us just want we want, when we want it, and how we want it, we will probably be loyal customers. If they fail to meet our expectations we very well might begin shopping elsewhere.
We, in the US, are especially picky and demanding and will cut-loose any business or person who falls short quite quickly. Many of us will then issue a “public service announcement” to warn and advise our friends, relatives, and anyone else who will listen, to no longer patronize the offending company.
For better or worse this is how things work in the real world. It is also a good example of how things work in the office, shop floor, store, restaurant, etc. Wherever people must work together, this interaction is happening everyday. In your company, however, it’s not likely that you will be immediately dismissed by your boss if you give poor customer service. Sometimes, especially with incompetent bosses, your poor customer service will be tolerated for years and years and no one will say anything about it. Of course, all the while, you are secretly being damned or punished for your behavior but haven’t been told why.
Most bosses will, however, let you know of your infractions and try to steer you to a better course of action. In other words, they are informing you that your customer service is poor and that they want to be treated this way or that way.
If you don’t know what your primary customer wants or expects from you, ask! It sounds so silly to mention, but the truth is, many employees (suppliers,) never take the time or put forth the effort to find out what their bosses (customers,) really want. I have witnessed this hundreds of times and am still amazed every time I see it.
You need to know what makes your boss happy, and provide those things to him or her if you want to have great customer satisfaction. Here are a few generic items that bosses typically want or need.
Bosses (Customer’s) Wants:
Job Security: Bosses want to feel like they will have a job as long as they want it at their company.
Validation/Respect: Bosses want people to recognize their elevated position and respect their advanced status. Most aren’t looking for “worship,” just recognition.
Admiration: It is not enough to be respected for many bosses. They really want to feel like they are admired and held in very high regard by most people.
Your Competence: If a boss can count on his or her subordinates to do their jobs well, they will also appear to be doing their job well.
Freedom From “Headaches:” Every boss I’ve ever known has hoped and prayed for employees that solve their own problems and keep problems from growing or needing their attention.
On-Time Delivery: Just like the list above, bosses want work or services delivered to them on-time and with excellent quality.
Your boss(s) will have a list of desires specific to him/her. Some will want a genuine friend, others will need someone with skills they don’t possess, and still others will appreciate your sense of humor to help them get through a stressful day. The pressures and demands your boss deals with everyday should be known to you, and as their primary “supplier” you need to find and devise improved ways of servicing this critical customer.
Ask your customers how you may better serve them and adjust accordingly. Investigate their needs and find real solutions that add value to them. Give them the kind of customer service you expect when you go to a fancy restaurant or make a major purchase like a car or home. This is how it should be whether you are seeking a promotion, or just striving to improve the way you do your job.
You should ask yourself “How can I make my boss look good?” and do those things. Remember, no one (including you,) is going anywhere unless somebody, somewhere gets promoted or leaves the company. That could be your boss. Making your boss look good sounds a bit like sucking-up, but in reality the best thing you can do to make your boss look good is just performing very well at your job. You should be doing that anyway; shouldn’t you?
I once worked with a guy who often said “my job is to make the boss look good.” I thought he was a big suck-up! The more I learned about the dynamics of companies and roles people play to make them successful, the more I understood his thinking.
It’s a bit like your children behaving themselves at church or in the grocery store. Mom & Dad feel great and beam with pride as their children show restraint and honor their parents. The kids aren’t being punished, no one is yelling, and in fact, they may be rewarded with a great treat or kind words for their actions; everybody wins. Just imagine the result if a child helps an elderly woman carry her groceries to her car without being asked. Pure Parent Nirvana!Finding out what your boss needs and desires, and then magnifying your efforts to help him/her realize those things, can yield similar outstanding results.
If you are able to, you might find ways to take some pressure off your boss by assuming some of their duties. This is “real help” which they need, and is training for you should you replace them someday. Many bosses will delegate tasks to you anyway, why not pick the tasks you would like to do before you get stuck with other things? This can be a great strategy all on its own. Of course it has to be genuine.
What About Your Boss’s Boss?
You really need to have a good sense of the person to whom your boss is accountable. You are probably aware of him or her and have “heard stories” about what they are like from reliable and not so reliable sources. That’s a start.
Ask your boss what his or her boss is like. This can get a bit “sticky” especially if their boss is a real jerk. Be cautious, but you should get some feedback that will be helpful to you as you find better ways of serving your boss. If your boss says their boss is a stickler for staying on budget or being at meetings on time, then you just learned two ways to help your boss be more successful. You could help them find ways to cut costs and remind them of upcoming meetings. I’m not saying become their secretary or organizer, just maybe a comment or two about the issues that will be discussed in the meeting at 1:00 will be enough to get them back on track if they are overwhelmed or forgetful.
Since your boss is your primary customer, and his/her boss is their primary customer, just like you, your boss’s success really depends to a large degree on how well they service their customer. Your knowing a few things about their boss will make you much more valuable, and you will be seen as an advocate and genuine helper to your boss. It’s absolutely worth your time to find out what your boss’s boss wants and requires, and how you can help your boss meet those demands. The best bosses usually become great through the continual support of outstanding subordinates.
(In case you‚Äôre wondering, I said boss in one form or another, 9 times in the last paragraph. 😉
Chapter 9 Summary Points

• Learn your boss‚Äôs job so well that you could do it if he or she were suddenly promoted or gone for any reason.
• Team-up with your boss and give him/her real help. He/she will probably be a key to your next promotion.
• Work relationships are based on suppliers satisfying customers. Your boss is your primary customer. Treat him/her very well by providing outstanding customer service.
• Make your boss look good by doing a great job and watching out for them.
• Find out what your boss really wants and do your best to satisfy their desires. Workplace desires that is!
• Take on some of your boss‚Äôs duties if he or she will let you. It could be great training in case you someday replace them.
• Learn the wants and requirements your boss‚Äôs superiors place on him/her, and do your best to support them in a way that satisfies their boss.
• Great bosses are made through the continual help of outstanding subordinates.

Bill Hanover is author of “No Sucking-Up! How to Win the Job Promotions You Deserve” and a Lean Manufacturing Consultant. You may learn more about “No Sucking-Up” at www.nosuckingup.com or Bill’s consulting services at www.tpslean.com