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Outsmart your boss

At some point you’re going to be competing with your boss.

How you handle it could have a big bearing on your prospects. Tony High, a Sydney-based business consultant specialising in human behaviour, leadership and organisational culture, coaches you on how to play things when it’s you versus him.


Hours

The scenario: he works his share, but you’re a first-in, last-out kind of guy.
Your strategy: “If your boss has a problem with you putting in the hours, that’s his issue, not yours,” says High. That said, don’t make a spectacle of your work ethic. That means refraining from sending emails at 6.30am – and copying in half the office. And even if you wait till 8.30, never start a message to your boss with “When you get in . . . ” Also, don’t assume he’s dazzled by you just because you’re always there. “Bosses know what their employees’ output is,” says High. It’s possible the long hours you’re working are more a marker of your inefficiency than your commitment.


Ideas

The scenario: at the company think tank, he’s scratching his head while you’re brimming with ideas that you know the big boss will love.
Your strategy: while it’s tempting to steal the show, you should avoid making your boss look like a goose. High suggests filling him in beforehand on what you’re going to say. “Ask him what he thinks. If he pours cold water on your ideas, say, ‘Would you mind if I fly them anyway?’ If he likes them, suggest you present them jointly. If your boss gets some credit for your ideas, who cares?” To some extent, it’s your job to make him look good. And karma will look after the rest.


Dress

The scenario: he’s a Lowes man; you look like you’ve stepped out of a Hugo Boss catalogue.
Your strategy: if your style is sharp, go with it, says High. But don’t “prance about” the workplace or act like you know you’re wrapped in thousands of dollars worth of designer threads. And never look down your nose at his polyester suit. If you sense your boss thinks you’re showing off, make a joke about your expensive tastes and own up to being a brand hag, advises High. And do drop your standards on mufti Fridays. “You’re going to make everyone uncomfortable if they’re in jeans and you’re in a suit.”


Methods

The scenario: he’s done things the same way for donkey’s, while you’re a whiz at all things modern.
Your strategy: if your boss’s traditionalism extends to micromanagement – telling you what font size you should be using in your reports – “I’d challenge him on it,” says High. “Say you respect his experience but this is what works for you.” With technology, you could score points by trying to introduce him to some of the newer stuff, without making him feel like a dinosaur. If there’s a presentation coming up and his plan is to drone on for an hour, offer to mock up something on PowerPoint and run it by him. “If he’s a smart old dog, he’ll see there’s probably some validity in this,” says High. But at the end of the day, he’s the boss and it won’t pay to look exasperated. “The most you can do is say, ‘You still prefer a carrier pigeon for getting a letter to the US, but I suggest an email’.”


Golf

The scenario: he’s invited you for a round at his club; he’s a hacker, you’re off six.
Your strategy: If you go by the movies, you’d start “accidentally” hooking drives into the scrub, aiming for the water and jerking a bunch of two-footers. But this is real life, so don’t lose on purpose, says High – it’s an insult to your host. If your boss is the ultra-competitive type, be sure to win with grace, though. “This is a case where it’s not what you say, or even what you do, but how you make the person feel.” When you tap in on the 18th, shelve the Lleyton Hewitt-style salute.

“First chance you get, shift the focus to the great shots he played during the round,” says High. And whatever you do, don’t offer him tips on his play. If he’s steaming, the last thing he wants to hear from a subordinate is that he’s decelerating on his downswing.