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Office Etiquette: Five Things Your Boss Is Silently Observing About You

07 Aug 2014 By: Diane Gottsman

Office Etiquette: 5 Things Your Boss Is Silently Observing About You by Diane Gottsman Etiquette Expert and Modern Manners Authority

How would your boss rate your potential?

There are certain expectations that may not show up in your job description, but you can bet your boss is judging your performance based on them. Your skill in these “unwritten” areas may have more of an impact than you know on your job. Here are five things your boss is noticing about you today:

  1. Your ability to deal with tough situations. Your boss is watching how you respond under pressure whether it’s tight deadlines, heavy workloads, or handling a demanding client. Do you remain composed, or do you tend to get overwhelmed and meltdown easily? Your ability to stay calm and carry on will make a strong impact on your boss’s impression of your capabilities.
  2. Your willingness to learn. Do you show a genuine interest in your job and in the company? Do you ask questions and tackle new tasks with enthusiasm? Your boss doesn’t expect you to have all the answers, but will look favorably on an employee who makes an effort to learn as much as they can, and increase their skills.
  3. Your ability to make your boss look good. An employee that has their boss’s back is worth their weight in gold. Not to be confused with a brown noser, this person will look for opportunities to make their supervisor’s life easier by going above and beyond. Those who make the “extra effort,” will generally receive reciprocal support from their boss.
  4. Your positive outlook. If you are difficult to work with, your valedictorian status has little value in the workplace. Someone who is ready for a challenge, has a good attitude, and is eager to do more than expected will always outshine a negative coworker. If you have a reputation for drama, conflict, or a glass-half-empty outlook, you will probably find your career progression moving at a much slower pace.
  5. Your good judgment. Something as simple as what you choose to wear to the office may translate into how much you value your current position at the company. Showing up to work late, taking extra time at lunch, arriving wrinkled and disheveled, or making excuses for not performing at your best are all signs you aren’t ready to hold a professional position. Rest assured your boss is weighing your value, and it would be in your best interest to either step up to the plate, or start looking for a job opportunity that is a better fit.

For more tips, read my most recent Huff Post article, How to Properly Handle an Office Mistake.

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Diane Gottsman

Diane Gottsman is a national etiquette expert and modern manners professional, sought out industry leader, television personality, accomplished speaker, Huffington Post blogger, author, and the owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in executive leadership and etiquette training. Diane is routinely quoted in national and international media including The New York Times, The BBC, CNN, Bloomberg Business Week, Kiplinger, Huffington Post Canada, U.S. News and World Report, and Forbes. She is the resident etiquette expert for two popular morning talk shows, SA Living and Good Day Austin. She has been seen on The TODAY Show, HLN Headline News, WGN Chicago, and CBS Sunday Morning. Her clients range from university students to Fortune 500 companies and her workshops cover topics ranging from tattoos in the workplace to technology at the dinner table and the proper use of social media.