The Goal Everyone Should Strive For

I am undecided on whether this post is controversial or obvious.  The number of times I see people lose sight of this objective is the reason I chose it as the topic of my third newsletter.

If you put a gun to my head and asked me what single strategy best sets you up for success, I would answer without hesitation: “make your boss look good”.  I would quickly follow this up by asking you to remove the gun from my head.

Let’s get the caveats out of the way first.  If your manager is engaged in behaviors that clearly cross criminal, civil or ethical boundaries, then this rule does not apply.  Instead, the opposite applies, and you should consider a range of actions from distancing yourself from them or becoming a whistleblower depending on the severity of the transgressions.  Your reputation is one of your most valuable assets and you should protect it at all costs.

On the assumption that most managers are a reflection of ourselves a few years in the future and just trying to do a good job with the resources they have, then the goal to make your boss look good applies.

To illustrate this, I have tried to look at this goal from three different angles.

Firstly, imagine if everyone took this rule to heart.  You would suddenly have a magical alignment from the top to the bottom of every organization.  The Board would prioritize what made shareholders look good (i.e. well-run businesses that operate within an acceptable risk profile).  Senior management would prioritize what made the C-Suite look good.  Middle Management would prioritize what made Senior Management look good and so-on all the way down to the Intern on his first day in the office.

This nirvana does not exist.  Why do people lose sight of this goal?  Probably because we struggle to separate what is in our best interest from our feelings, insecurities and egos.  If you don’t particularly like your boss, then why would you bother to make them look good?

Secondly, if we turn the statement into a negative it becomes a lot more agreeable.  Most people would agree with the sentiment that you shouldn’t make your boss look bad.  There is a slight difference in meaning and a much bigger difference in intent.  But, given we can discount actions that make your boss look neither good nor bad, the two goals are quite closely aligned.  But, we are not off the hook that easily as the difference in intent is important. Not doing something is very different to actively pursuing the opposite.

Thirdly, what opposing strategy works as well?  If you don’t like your boss and intentionally or unintentionally make them look bad, what long-term benefit accrues back to you?  Let’s create an image of the worst example of management: they take credit for your work, do not positively promote your abilities to others, restrict your ability to connect with senior business leaders, don’t trust your output, micromanage your workday and double-check everything you do.   Whilst you are working in that role, I would argue, you are still better off making your boss look good.  Any other activity (i.e. actively making your boss look bad, putting less effort in so that your boss looks average or being unhelpful) will backfire on you.  Clearly a sensible approach is to try and change jobs if you find yourself in this position.  But it isn’t always possible and therefore making your boss look good is still the best strategy to take. 

There are two factors that make this strategy very compelling.  Firstly, for most staff closer to the beginning of their career, it only becomes critical and noticeable in times of change, disruption or ad hoc projects.  If you take pride in your day-to-day work, look for efficiencies, keep to deadlines, flag unusual results and check your work thoroughly you are doing the maximum that can be asked of you.  In the critical moments where normal working practices are in flux you should pause and ask yourself “what can I do to make my boss look good”. The answer will usually elevate your standing and the trust your manager places in you.

The second factor is that nearly everyone else will forget this goal in those critical moments.  The most common example is when there is a sudden change of leadership.  There are a range of possible reactions by staff.  Most people will be focusing on what this means for them and how they may work it to their advantage.  My argument is that the better reaction is to ask “what does the new leadership need from me to ensure they are as successful as possible”.  I believe it is a strategy that leads to greater long-term success than any alternative.

I am looking forward to any reactions to this.  As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, I really don’t know if this is obvious or controversial.  There are many scenarios that I will cover in future blog posts and the actions that I suggest will bring the most success all align with the goal “make your boss look good”.

Next week’s blog is on the one type of job you shouldn’t accept and it is based on personal experience.