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10/01/2019

How to Get Ahead When Your Boss Doesn’t Have Influence

Whatever your manager’s standing, you need to protect yourself

We’d all love for our bosses to be connected and knowledgeable inside our organizations. An in-the-loop manager can give direct reports timely and accurate information, introductions to important people, appropriate guidance on projects, and, in best-case scenarios, a leg up in their careers.

Unfortunately, some bosses lack political aptitude and networks, while others are missing competencies that should be required of their higher position on the company ladder. Whatever your manager’s standing, you need to protect yourself and your reputation by making sure you’re progressing. When your supervisor is too out of the loop to help you navigate a work situation, try these three techniques.

Develop relationships with senior leaders. If your boss’s lack of connections means your opportunities for influence are limited, focus on getting more access to communications. Identify individuals who can provide important information, and then find a low-key way to connect. For example, you could introduce yourself to an executive after a meeting or through another colleague and share something that could be of value to them. A client I worked with blocked out his calendar for 30 minutes after each senior leadership meeting, which let him have quick follow-up conversations with the other attendees.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Harvard Business Review.

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