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Greetings!
February is a month often associated with love, so we thought it might be a good time to get a handle on how to win your boss's affection. Here, ten erstaz municipal administrators from across Canada give you their best advice.
1. NEVER ASK A QUESTION YOU CAN EASILY ANSWER
"I get dozens of questions a day - most of them are questions that staff could easily answer themselves. I think they are just being lazy" J.M., Town Manager , Nova Scotia
Ok, so it makes you feel safer,when you lack confidence, to ask your boss for approval. But try this: next time you are tempted to ask your boss a question, ask yourself first: "Will he have a better answer to this than I do?" If your answer is "probably not", take a chance! You know your boss as well as anyone ... think things through first.
 Your Boss will LOVE you for finding the answer yourself.
2. TAKE HER A SOLUTION, NOT ANOTHER PROBLEM
" It ticks me off when one of my managers comes to me with a problem expecting me to come up with a solution." B.F. Municipal Administrator, Saskatchewan
Never go to your CAO with a problem if you haven't spent at least half an hour thinking of possible solutions.By all means, go to her with a difficult issue, but be prepared to offer a couple of suggestions about how to handle it.
Your boss will LOVE you for using your head.
3. OWN UP TO IT WHEN YOU HAVE MADE A MISTAKE
It's a wonderful thing to behold when a member of my team comes forward and takes responsibility for a mistake" A.N., CAO, British Columbia
For sure, a heartfelt and sincere apology is an important step in making things right, but you need to offer more - much more! Next time you are responsible for a mistake, try adding this: "I think we could have handled this by ... ," or "In thinking about it now, I believe I could have ...," or "Next time, here's what I would do ..." Taking responsibility for your mistake by focusing on what you have learned rather than what you did wrong will impress him.
Your boss will LOVE you for your ownership of the mistake.
4. KEEP YOUR EMOTIONS IN CHECK
"I gasp when I see some of the emails sent by people from my town office" M.M., Clerk Administrator, Ontario
Wait before you push the "send button" on an email you've written in a moment of anger or frustration. While it's tempting to reply immediately, particularily when an email has gotten your back up, you should get in the habit of writing your reply immediately, but sending it later - after you have calmed down. But before you send it, take another look both at the annoying email you got, and your response to it. By then, you'll find you've calmed down to the point where you can answer in a more reasoned and constructive way.
Your boss will LOVE you for your tact and diplomacy.
5. GO ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY
"Nothing bothers me more than someone who says, 'It's not my job!' From time to time, everyone has to do things that, strictly speaking, aren't part of their job description." J.J. City Manager Alberta
People today are expected to wear more than one hat, and to go the extra mile to contribute to the success of their municipality. Next time you have the opportunity, forget yourself for a moment, and do something for the benefit of others, or for the good of the city ... even if it's not convenient!
Your boss will LOVE you for your unselfish team spirit.
6. DON'T INSULT HIS INTELLIGENCE
"When I get a text message saying, 'I'm too ill to come to work', even if it's not a lie, it sure seems like one ... I sometimes suspect it's a case of the Friday or Monday flu!"
K.T., CAO Manitoba
There's a right and a wrong way to call in sick. Sending an email, text message or calling in sick to the HR Manager is a sure sign that you may be prevaricating. Next time, grow up, and call your boss directly.
Your boss will LOVE you for being up front.
7. GIVE AND GET FEEDBACK
"I really appreciate it when someone on my team gives me feedback about something I've done or said" R.H. Town Manager NWT
We all respond well to positive feedback, and even negative - if it's couched in proper terms, If there is something that your CAO does that you like ... take the opportunity to tell her. Say something like, "I really appreciated your support in our meeting the other night". Trust me, she will sit up and take notice of how what she did affected you. She will really appreciate your telling her that you think she did the right thing, and explaining how it helped.
Your boss will LOVE you for your positive feedback.
8. STOP WHINING
"There's one in every office ... a complainer, that is. They will usually complain about anything and everything. It drives me and everyone else crazy."
L.M. Municipal Manager, PEI
Got any chronic complainers where you work? These are the people for whom the weather is always too warm or too cold, the boss is a jerk, the food is lousy, work sucks and ... you fill out the list. No matter how good things get, they only see the bad - and they go to great lengths to point it out to everyone who will listen. Don't be a whiner, and never encourage those who are.
Your boss will LOVE you for being a positive influence.
9. BE GUNG-HO ABOUT YOUR IDEAS
"I always remember the people in my office who follow through with their ideas"
J-C.T., Directeur, Quebec
There are always many suggestions about how to improve things, whether it's about work or ideas for new projects. It's not helpful to simply send your boss a list of ideas. The best ideas only come to life when someone takes the ball and runs with it. Pick one or two of your best ideas and follow through with them.
Your boss will LOVE you for your innovative thinking.
10. ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU'RE REALLY STUCK, OR TO PROMOTE TEAMWORK
"I think it's just great when one of my staff asks me for help when the going gets tough. It was never truer that two (or more) heads are often better than one. Collaboration also promotes teamwork." G.A Town Manager, Nunavut
Not only does it show humility and a desire to learn, but it's also a subtle form of flattery and ego-stroking for the boss. In fact, self-reliance can often backfire. Many times, younger associates try to impress by handling everything on their own, but those who seek advice perform better and advance more quickly.
Still, bosses say it's easy to tell when an employee asks questions just to get attention, and some take this tactic too far: ultimately, an employee who brings every problem to her boss looks lazy ( see #1). Smart staff members exhaust every resource - coworkers, search engines, social networks, etc., and only approach the boss with their toughest challenges.
Your boss will LOVE your humility
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