6 effective ways to manage your boss

As a PA, your job requires you to keep track of your own time while helping your executive be more effective. It’s a juggling act that all assistants have to learn to control during their career. Here are six handy hints to help you manage your boss.

1 Provide solutions, not problems
Your boss has enough problems of his or her own, so the worst thing you could do is create more. Instead, find solutions for the problems you do encounter before bringing it to your executive’s attention so it’s no hassle for them.

2 Stay calm
Even when the world is falling apart around you, it’s up to you to be the calming force in your boss’s life. Sometimes a level-headed response is exactly what he or she needs to put things into perspective.

3 Take responsibility for your actions
When things do go wrong or you make a mistake, show your boss that you’re accountable for your actions by taking full responsibility. Don’t be quick to blame others or make excuses and demonstrate that you’ve learned from the experience. Going back to tip number one, seek a solution to fix the problem without being prompted to do so.

4 Set boundaries
You’re only human, and we all have a breaking point. Recognise yours and take steps to avoid reaching it by setting clear boundaries with your executive. If you’re not willing to take calls or answer emails late at night, don’t do it and tell your boss that you won’t – and stick to your guns at all times.

5 Provide full support
The role of the PA is designed to make a manager’s job easier, but sometimes your executive needs a bit of help saving face. Never sell your boss short by showing them up. Find out how you can support them when they’re doing badly; they’ll remember that you stood by them and you’ll make yourself look good in the process.

6 Stay positive
Just as you need to stay calm, you should also strive to find the positive in every situation. When organisational changes make your job harder, try not to focus on the negative. You’ll become a more valued member of your team and your boss will take note of your leadership skills.

Read the original article at on.inc.com/1VuOcVv