by Dan Oswald
National Car Rental’s new commercial asks, “What’s it like to be the boss of you?” And it also answers the question: “Pretty great.” The actor in the commercial, Patrick Warburton, then negotiates a 20 percent raise for himself with himself. If only life were that easy!
But I like the question the commercial asks. “What’s it like to be the boss of you?” Have you ever thought about what it’s like to be your boss? Are you someone who is easy to manage? Do you require a lot of supervision? Do you create drama in your department, or are you a calming influence? Can your boss rely on you to be a leader? If asked about what it’s like to be the boss of you, would he or she answer as the commercial does, “Pretty great”?
If you’re a manager, you know what you want to see in the people who work for you. Do you see the same things in yourself? Even if you don’t manage people, you know the key traits employers are looking for in the people who work for them. Are they on display each day you come to work?
We all have certain expectations for the people who work with or for us. We expect them to act a certain way. We value specific behaviors over others. Here are some of the key traits employers are looking for in employees. Which of these do you consistently exhibit?
- Confidence—assurance, certainty, poise
- Dependability—steadiness, trustworthiness, perseverance
- Flexibility—adaptability, versatility, adjustability
- Self-reliance—independent, assured, enterprising
- Teamwork—cooperation, collaboration
- Honesty—truthful, ethical, trustworthy
- Intelligence—intellect, judgment, reasoning
- Leadership ability—commanding, authoritative, influential
- Integrity—moral, honorable, sincere
- Likability—easygoing, friendly, caring
- Competence—skillful, capable, proficient
- Courage—brave, fearless, daring
If these are the traits employers are looking for, which of them do you possess? If I asked your boss to check off the traits that best describe you, which would he or she select? Do you know yourself well enough to be able to select the same traits your boss would? Can you admit to yourself how others see you? How good is your self-awareness?
I ask again, “What’s it like to be the boss of you?”
We all like to think that the answer is the same as it is in the commercial, “Pretty great.” But is that the honest answer? These traits that every employer looks for, do we really exhibit some or even many of them?
Run through the list once again. Put a check next to the traits that best describe you. The answer to the question about what it’s like to be your boss is likely found in your selections. And the better you know yourself, the better employee you can be. The more honest you are about your answers, the more likely it is that you can make improvements and become an even better employee. The more you focus on exhibiting as many of those traits above as possible, the more likely the answer your boss would give will be “Pretty great.”
This blog shows an interesting perspective on how our boss actually sees us.
Each employee brings a different set of values and it is the boss who needs and learns how to balance those sets of values so these employees can work as a team and independently when needed. A boss who is approachable will learn what motivates each employee and what each employee needs to succeed.