How to Build a Great Working Relationship with Your Boss

One of the worst things you can do when you start your new job is to make your supervisor look bad for hiring you. After all, your boss is key to your current on-the-job satisfaction and to your future success in the organization -- and perhaps even beyond.

If there ever were a relationship for you to invest in, this is it. So here are five ways to get off to a great start with your new supervisor. Your efforts now will lay the groundwork for a productive working relationship over the long haul.

Watch Your New Boss and Learn

The number one thing is to observe the company culture and your supervisor closely during your first few weeks. Keep your opinions basic until you understand the company culture well and know what people will look upon with favor and what they'll look upon with disdain. There is a saying in business when a new person arrives; "New Broom Sweeps Clean" which means the new guy comes in with preconceived ideas and tries to make changes to things which he/she does not know if they are successful or integral to the current business setup

Even something as simple as asking intelligent questions will make a difference in how your boss perceives you as an employee. It's always better to clarify than to charge off and go completely in the wrong direction.

Communicate based on observation of those around you

Smooth communication in a workplace and with your boss is probably the most important of all. Some bosses are very hands-on, keeping close tabs on you throughout your workday. Others may talk to you once a week or less often and send you on your way to do your job.

Whatever your supervisor's style, typically it's up to you to establish and maintain the lines of communication between the two of you. Using either email or the occasional stop-by-the-office visit, make sure you keep your boss informed with the answers to these questions:

What are you working on?
What have you finished, and what are the results?
What can you help your supervisor with?

Look and Act Professional

There is a small anectdote from a recruitment agency which is fitting here.

"Two weeks into the job, we got a call from her manager, saying that she was doing a terrific job, but that she sometimes dressed inappropriately, in short, short skirts and open-toed shoes. The manager asked me to have a chat with the person, because they really liked her and didn't want her attire to impact her ability to get promoted in the future."

The new hire was a bit shocked to discover her fashion faux pas were damaging her relationships with her supervisor and colleagues, but she quickly made the necessary changes to her wardrobe, Hemming says.

Demonstrate Initiative

Any new employee can sit around waiting to be told what to do. Why not be proactive enough to figure it out yourself so your supervisor doesn't constantly have to hold your hand?

Take initiative to get something done when you see it needs getting done. It can be something as simple as taking a stack of files and going through them before you're asked -- anything to show that you're not beneath the small tasks that take up everyone's time.

Come in early and stay late

You should be busy whenever you're starting a new job, learning the ropes, but even when you're not, perfect the art of looking busy.

Do Great Work

This might seem like painfully obvious advice for developing a solid relationship with your new boss, but it bears repeating. Make your boss look good by, guess what -- just plain working hard. It's old-fashioned, but it really works.