Understanding What Your Boss Wants from You

Do you feel like your manager has unrealistic expectations for you?

Most managers don’t receive much training, if any. The lack of training could lead to difficulty articulating clear expectations or to a lack of awareness of how their expectations are received and even whether they’re realistic.

Your manager also must manage up and may be struggling with outsized expectations and pressures themselves. Many people in that situation will pass on pressure rather than try to alleviate it.

Given the pressures they’re experiencing, what does your manager need from you?

Put simply, leaders want 

• Visibility

• Solutions

• Results

What you can do:

1. Keep them informed.

Don’t share every detail. Do strategically share key information.

Ask yourself what questions your boss is likely to be asked by their management and proactively answer those questions.

2. Provide options for forward progress.

Don’t tell your boss that you have a problem and wait for direction. Do share your ideas for potential solutions.

You’ll showcase your capability to think through the possible scenarios and determine the best courses of action.

3. Focus on desired outcomes.

Don’t try to guess what your manager wants. Do partner with them to ensure you agree to the desired results.

Focusing on the outcomes will help your boss meet the expectations of their management, as well.