Unspoken Corporate Rules Series: Managing Your Boss, Part 1

As mentioned in our book, Consciously Quitting: A Guide for Navigating Your Career

Transition, your first 100 days in a new role are key to establishing your professional

stamp on the organisation. Cultivating relationships is a crucial part of navigating this new landscape. Nowhere is this more important than in your relationship with your new boss.

In this onboarding phase of your new job, your primary concerns should be to:

• Make a strong and positive impression,

• Reassure your new boss that hiring you was a wise decision, with short and long-term benefits, and

• Align strategically with your team to maximize collective success.

Here’s how to make those priorities work for you in real time.

Align Strategically with Your Boss’s Work

If you want to add value, begin by understanding the value that your boss contributes. Align with their goals, initiatives, and leadership style by investigating crucial details of their work. What critical deadlines are they managing? Which short-term projects can you support to ease pressure or build momentum for them and the team?

So how do you find all the answers to those questions? By meeting with your boss, of course!

Get Feedback Regularly

Observe your boss’s schedule and make space for a consistent monthly 1-on-1. Use

this time to get clarity, share updates, and deepen professional rapport. These check-ins are not just about performance metrics, They’re your opportunity to fine-tune your communication style to match your boss’s preferences.

Where possible, build parallel rapport with other departmental managers. Strategic

relationships across leadership lines mean you can have advocates in the rooms and discussions where you are not always included. Just be sure to identify the best managers and professional alliances that do not appear to be in competition with your boss. Which brings us to the next point…

Never Outshine Your Boss

Unless you are called specifically to lead in a high-profile capacity, play your cards

smart and skillfully. At the start of your corporate relationship, you don’t know who your boss truly is or how insecure he/she can be. It is always best to assume that your boss has an ego that needs the occasional reassuring.

Make your accomplishments visible, but attribute credit upward where appropriate.

Praise their leadership when your own growth is recognised. In meetings, speak when invited, offering up sharp insights with humility. Be secure in your lane but also alert for opportunities to progress onward and upward.

Confidence and diplomacy can coexist. Find that balance early.

Overcommunicate to Your Boss

No one wants a barrage of irrelevant updates, but thoughtful reminders are both

respectful and strategic. Let your boss know about upcoming deadlines, meetings, and any time you have to spend away from work. Keep them in the loop about your progress and any support you might need to succeed.

During your check-ins, highlight your achievements with care. It is not boasting if you ensure that your contributions are seen and valued in the right context. Private praise is often the safest path, especially early in a new reporting relationship.

Final Thoughts…

Managing your boss is less about navigation and more about intentional alignment,

emotional intelligence, and strategic communication. Your goal is to build trust early, offer value consistently, and navigate personalities thoughtfully.

Start by understanding your boss’s work and aligning your efforts with their priorities. Be proactive about support, ask what matters, and find ways to contribute meaningfully. Schedule regular check-ins to gather feedback and build rapport, also using those sessions to demonstrate initiative, clarify expectations, and fine-tune your approach.

Tread wisely. Avoid outshining your boss in public spaces. Make your contributions

visible, but always with professional grace. Give credit upward where needed and know when silence says more than a spotlight.

Finally, make communication your quiet superpower. Offer thoughtful updates, keep your boss informed, and be clear about your needs. When done intentionally and with care, overcommunicating is not a nuisance — it's an act of professionalism.

In the world of unspoken corporate rules, managing up is one of the smartest things you can do to safeguard your success. When done correctly, you will gain both a boss and a loyal advocate.

Stay tuned for future installments, where we will tackle issues such as how to handle difficult dynamics, absorb feedback like a pro, and protect your growth in more complex environments.

Need more career insights? Purchase our guide! It's a great book on navigating your next career move!

V.J. Gomes is the co-founder of Consciously Quitting, a career-transition platform. Book her for a strategy session or keynote address.

Grab your copy of Consciously Quitting: A Guide for Navigating Your Career Transition

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