1. Do your job, and Do it well
This may seem obvious, but plenty of people fail to carry out their assigned duties and tasks efficiently everyday. Doing your basic duties diligently will catch your manager’s attention and make him/her see you as a valuable member of the team. Plus, if you don’t do the foundation of your work well, it’ll be tough to impress your manager further along your career (or get a raving recommendation).
2. Be a Problem Solver
Don’t rely on your manager to solve all problems that arise. When a problem surfaces, don’t just point it out or whine about it. Brainstorm ideas on how to fix it, voice your suggestions, and if appropriate roll up your sleeves and try to address the problem. If you deal with a problem in a negative way, you might reduce your team’s morale and productivity – no one likes a negative Nancy.
3. Learn How your manager likes to communicate
Managers have very busy schedules, take the time when you first start a new job (or get a new manager) to understand how they prefer to communicate. It’ll change from person to person, find out how your manager likes to touch base in and out of the office. It may be through email, G-Chat, phone call or in person, and once you know your manager’s preferred form you’ll save time, receive feedback more efficiently and avoid distractions.
4. Be Transparent with your manager
Try your best to be an honest and dedicated employee, if a problem arises avoid going around your manager. If you have an issue, go directly to them, sit down and talk it out. It can be anything from a client pulling the plug on a campaign at the last minute, to not having a challenging workload. A lack of trust can really damage the relationship you’ve been building with your manager, and your career.
5. Make your manager’s priorities part of yours
Essentially, your job revolves around meeting your manager’s marketing goals exactly how he/she wants them to be met. If your manager prioritizes a task that isn’t at the top of your t0-do list, rally your team members and work together to accomplish it by the desired deadline. Remember to communicate with your manager regularly to ensure your goals and priorities align.
6. Be Prepared
This may seem like another obvious move, but we all know that in marketing days rarely go exactly as scheduled. A client may cancel a meeting, a competitor might release groundbreaking news, or your Twitter party may become a “trending topic”. Start your week in-the-know on industry news, competitors, and always have an informed opinion for team and client meetings. Once your manager sees that you are always prepared, he/she will know to turn to you.
7. Take Initiative
Volunteer to take on new projects, when you have the bandwidth, ensure you have enough time and energy to do a great job. If you can, try and think of small projects that you can start and execute yourself, without much supervision or guidance from your manager. Set personal goals for to bring in X number of new clients, X amount of revenue, or update the company Facebook page – make yourself stand out and irreplaceable.
8. Lay out a Familiarity Blueprint
The personal vs. professional relationship is always a tricky boundary to lay down. Determine if you and your manager are purely professional or if your relationship crosses into personal territory. Don’t try to force one or the other just because Manager Mike plays golf on the weekends with your colleague Ken. But don’t shy away from talking about topics that aren’t work related if you feel comfortable; find that happy medium.
Case Study: Taste of Nature
See Why We’re Your Influencer Activation Engine
