How to Make Your New Boss Happy

Marcianne Kuethen

April 25, 2017

We recently hired several new employees. Several of them, it turns out, are an incredibly good fit with our company, for various and differing reasons. For instance, one builds relationships super easily with his open communication style. Another is humble and hardworking even though he is not new to recruiting. A couple of others are so servant-hearted and team-oriented that they are just a joy to be around. All have quickly become such integral contributors to our company culture, our staff and leadership team couldn’t be happier.

If you’re starting a new job, wouldn’t you like to know how to make your new boss happy? Guy Kawasaki, renowned entrepreneur and author, has some really wise tips for how to succeed in your first 90 days on the job, plus a few things you should avoid. Here’s a quick summary of his post:

Before You Start Your New Job

1. Read up on the company, competition, and industry to understand the company’s personality, where it has been, and what challenges it currently faces.
2. Study up on the bios of your company’s executives using LinkedIn and other social media.
3. Get a head start by learning how to use your company’s service or product.
4. Follow and like the company’s social media accounts to study its branding and personality.
5. Find out from your hiring manager what you can do before you start.

Once You’ve Started Your New Job

1. Make friends with the receptionist and other support staff.
2. Say yes to everyone who asks you to help with something, and humbly do it.
3. Listen and learn rather than spout off arrogantly about how much you, the newbie, know.
4. Always promise less than you can do, and deliver more.
5. Arrive early and clock out late to impress others with your work ethic.

Also, if you want to know how to make your new boss happy, Kawasaki warns, don’t cheat, cut corners, or make unfounded decisions. Don’t behave dishonestly or in a racist, sexist, sexual, or ageist manner. Work hard to make your boss look good, and it will elevate you, too.

EQ On the Job

Exercising emotional intelligence (EQ) is another great way to please your boss. Did you know that 90% of top performers are high in EQ? Dr. Travis Bradberry defines EQ as “your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships…Emotional intelligence is comprised of four skills: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management.”

Since EQ is responsible for 58% of job performance, according to Bradberry, you might want to factor it in when you’re considering how to make your new boss happy. Bradberry teaches that you can increase your EQ with perspective and practice, and his book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, gives practical ways for how to do that.

One of the simplest examples of EQ is summed up in Robert Fulghum’s book, All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. While playing in the Sunday School sandbox, says Fulghum, he learned principles such these, which apply just as well to how we ought to treat each other at work:

• Share everything.
• Play fair.
• Don’t hit people.
• Put things back where you found them.
• Clean up your own mess.
• Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
• Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Wash your hands before you eat.
• Flush.

Here’s a final tip to getting off to a good start in your new job: Ask your boss some great questions that will clarify expectations, help you navigate your new organization, and set you up for success. That’s a sure recipe for how to make your new boss happy–and yourself, too!

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