Everybody has a boss. Like it or not, Mr. Big in the corner office is the gatekeeper of our careers. Therefore, career success requires that we learn how to manage our boss relationships.

The boss is the portal in the hierarchy through which we connect with the rest of the organization and its resources He is the one who can pass us along for promotions or stop us dead in our tracks. He is the first hurdle to get over to gain more responsibility and more money. Our plans and budgets must have his approval.

Unless you are able to establish and manage positive connections with your bosses at each step in your career you will fall short of your potential.

Bosses Hard To Accept

Accepting the idea of a boss is especially hard for ambitious careerists; few achievers like the notion of having a master who holds sway over them in the universal pecking order. Accepting authority is basically at odds with the attributes required for success.

Bosses come in all shapes and sizes. They can be fair-minded, inspiring leaders who provide the opportunities you need to make the most of your career. Bosses can also be jerks. They can be picky and petty; ogres, control freaks, bumblers, micromanagers or absentee overseers. They can be bullies that roar like lions or wimps that squeak like mice. They can be smart or as dumb as a post. They can even be crazy as loons.

On any given day, bosses can seem like a parent who is respected, feared or barely tolerated. They can be sources of conflicts and turmoil. They can be insecure. They can be mean.

In any case, our relationships with them must be managed if we are to build successful careers.

The recently released E-Book "How To Make The Boss Relationship Work For You" leads the reader through a step-by-step process for understanding these realities and turning boss relationships into career assets. Down-to-earth guidelines explain how to deal with bad bosses and bullies, how to handle boss conflicts, and how to form a partnership of mutual dependency. The reader is provided with a detail procedure for analyzing one's boss.

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Ramon Greenwood is the author of "How To Make The Boss Relationship Work for You." Contact him at ramon@commonsenseatwork.com His semi-montly newsletter is available free of charge upon request.

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