A major ingredient in building a great career is the ability to demonstrate leadership skills.
The absence of a supervisor presents a great opportunity to showcase leadership and managerial capacities. It is a chance to shine and prove your commitment to the organisation, and demonstrate your ability to work under minimal supervision. Your level of self-discipline and self-drive will be tested at this time.
Unfortunately, too many individuals seem to believe that when the cat is away, the mice should play. Such people take advantage of a boss’ absence to break all company rules, relishing the false sense of freedom. It is, therefore, important to understand the dos and don’ts to avoid wasting the chance to shine when the boss is away.
The dos:
First, ensure you understand your limits and boundaries, that is, what is permissible and what is not.
Second, ensure there is clear communication with your boss. Proper communication is an antidote for the challenges faced at the workplace, and should be kept alive to ensure work continuity at all times.
Third, prepare any necessary reports and forward them to your boss when he or she is away. This is especially crucial if important decisions that impact on the business need to be made.
Fourth, foster teamwork. A fragmented team can prove disastrous in the absence of a familiar authority.
Fifth, take reasonable risks that would prove valuable, but avoid moves that can jeopardise your future prospects with the company. Escalating issues and seeking clarification is crucial to ensure projects do not stall just because the boss is away.
The don’ts:
First, avoid absenteeism. Your boss being away can be a defining moment for your career, and it is, therefore, critical that you avoid tardiness and absenteeism.
Time wastefulness is another vice to avoid. The tendency to take an unreasonably long time on mundane tasks, while paying an inordinate amount of attention to non-work-related distractions like phone calls and emails. Remember efficiency and effectiveness are both measures of management and leadership, and will prove indispensable during performance evaluations.
Second, you must avoid complaining. This is especially common when the workload is a lot, delicate and complicated. Complaints are momentum breakers that suck energy out of even from the most talented individuals. It is, therefore, advisable to employ inquisitiveness as opposed to whining, as this may negatively impact on your relationship with your boss.
Third, avoid mishandling company resources in your boss’ absence. Honesty and integrity should be your guiding principles even when no one is watching.
The good news is that avoiding slacking off and embracing productivity will not go unnoticed. The benefits of this include improved working relations with the boss, promotions and salary increments.
The writer is a human resource specialist and co-author of ‘The Career Code’. goretti@peoplelink.co.ke
