4 simple ways you can impress your boss

4 simple ways you can impress your boss4 simple ways you can impress your bossI joined the FBI to make a difference, but I soon learned that Id need to impress my boss before important cases would be assigned to me. Otherwise, Id be relegated to second tier on the squad. That meant Id run investigative leads for those with the cases I wanted assigned to me.Many believe that self-promotion will get them noticed by leadership and grab the attention of their boss. Im not comfortable with self-promotion because weve all seen how ugly that can look. Self-promoters are the ones devoted to the advancement of their career, keep their mouth shut except when it serves them, avoid controversy, take credit for the successes of others, and distance themselves from their failures. Sound like anyone you know? Right, I cant stand them either.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraOn the other hand, ma ny times being really good at your job isnt enough. I knew Id need to develop a game plan if I wanted to work important cases that would make a difference.Here are 4 simple ways to impress your boss1. Monkey see, monkey doI dont mean to infer that any of my bosses were apes, exactly, but I welches a quick study in recognizing the traits they appreciated in their werbers. Those would be the agents that got the good cases that werent assigned to me. I suppose I could have pointed a finger and accused my boss of discrimination, but Ive never seen myself a victim of my circumstances.Instead, I ticked off the mannerisms and characteristics of the agents who comprised my bosss inner circle and made them my mentors. Most of them would puke if they knew I considered them a mentor, but Im talking about the informal relationships where the agent was clueless that I parroted their leadership style.Not that I was a stalker I actually didnt like several of the agents who were outstanding at thei r job. I did, however, admire their work ethic.For example, John had a tendency to dominate every meeting or briefing he attended. Leadership paid attention to him and he was the case agent for many significant cases on the squad. John surrounded himself with other like-minded male FBI agents who ignored, dismissed, or interrupted others whose opinion they did not respect.Yes, I was marginalized. After all, most of the meeting summaries seemed to happen in the mens room on the bathroom break.When I looked around the room, I saw that John and others of his ilk also ignored male agents who didnt stand out as exceptional performers or leaders. While being a female agent may have had some impact on their behavior toward me, it clearly was also a matter of who was perceived to have anything important to say.How To Make It Work For You Identify one or two people who have fine-tuned the desirable characteristics and traits you need to succeed in your environment. Dont expect them to sit do wn and explain their magic formula. Youre smart enough to observe what works and what doesnt and then find a way to own it in a way that is unique to you. You may not find the perfect mentor who is competent, polite, and sees the potential in you. Demand more from one- find someone who can really teach you the ropes to skip and the ropes to know.2. Focus on your likabilityJohn and his merry band of buddies laughed and joked around with each other but seldom smiled at anyone else. So, I began to smile at John every time I saw him and say, Hows it going? Hed always smile back but seldom offered a response.When we smile, we activate thebrains mirror neurons our brain sees a reaction in someone else and it wants to mirror those same emotions. Smiling is a sign of submission, which is why many dominant individuals dont smile. If the smile is genuine there will crows feet and the cheeks will push up.There are other ways to trigger alikableresponse from others. Our emotional limbic brain s ystem leaks all sorts of information. When I approached John, his eyebrows arched which indicates genuine warmth. Few people notice this, but an eyebrow flash is an automatic reaction when we see someone you like.I knew I had made progress, and after a few weeks, John stopped and told me how his day had gone.People who get noticed by leadership tend to be likable.Studies showthat we value an employees competence by how much we like or dislike that person. Likability is a huge indicator of success.Psychologists suggest that the biggest hindrance to likability is apathy. In other words, we dont take the time to build our network. We think that relationship building takes too much time and too much effort to be worthwhile.How To Make It Work For You Likability will make it easier for you to network in your office. Just because your colleagues as assholes, it doesnt mean you need to be one as well. Start with a gesture if you go out for a latte run, ask if you can get anything for your co-worker. Whether they want a latte or not, youve made yourself more likable with the simple offer. All it takes are straightforward gestures to make colleagues, and bosses feel more comfortable with you. Just dont overdo it.3. Become a team playerI intentionally sought out John, and his buddies, to ask for advice about my cases. I buried my pride and made them partners in the direction I took my investigations. Since John and his friends had developed deep relationships, I suspected they would talk about me in my absence. It was important that I be perceived as a competent team player.Teamwork and collaboration is not always a natural response, especially if the person is new, or an outsider. We naturally tend to form safe tribes with colleagues we know and avoid those we dont know well.That small butpowerful emotional limbic brainis at work again. Its job is to keep us safe, and strangers are perceived as a threat, at least at first. Since the limbic brain is survival-driven, it tends to trust those with whom weve developed close ties or have shared experiences.There is no argument that one of the best ways to impress your boss is to be part of a team that unites, empowers, and inspires others. Effective teamwork requires a balance between the heart and the head. The job of every leader is to create more leaders.Once you lift up colleagues and enable them to find their full potential, you automatically find yourself a leader in your community.How To Make It Work For You There are times when youre the star of the show, and other times when you work the back stage props. Become alert to the needs of your colleagues and offer to help them. By the way, be careful with criticism and snarky comments. Stay above the fray at all times.4. Add value to the bottom lineJohn was a busy guy and very quick witted. I didnt dawdle when chatting about a case- I came straight to the point with pithy, strong statements. I didnt waste his time by trying to ingratiate myself in a way that he would not appreciate.In our next meeting, the discussion circled around to a topic that John and I had previously discussed. He knew he could rely on me to be succinct and make an impact, so he asked for my opinion. I didnt let him down- I made my statement and then sat down and shut up, not using this opportunity to make sure everyone else in the room knew how competent I was.That day was a turning point.While I have never developed a loud voice, I have developed a strong one.Leadership looks for people who create maximum workplace impact. Self-promoters tend to oversell themselves, and their talents, to impress their bosses. Theyre more adept at blowing hot air than they are at putting their nose to the grindstone. As a result, theyre usually unprepared when an obstacle rears its ugly head.How To Make It Work For You Remain alert for ways you can add value to the bottom line. Take initiative. If a self-promotor is in over their head, bury your pride and offer to help out. Are there tasks that have remained on your boss to-do list that you could handle? Is there a task that no one wants to tackle? Put yourself out there to get it done. When your boss asks you to do something, respond with, Of course, rather than Sure or OK. It sounds as though youre already doing it. To add value, you need to look at your job description as the place to start, not to end.This article originally appeared on LaRae Quy.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people