How To Get Noticed By Your Boss’s Boss

You’re smart, hard-working, and disciplined when it comes to your work. Yet, senior management doesn’t know who you are. How can that be? Your boss knows all the great work you do, but you want their boss to recognize you. The problem is if you go over your boss’s head to get the senior executives to notice you, that creates an issue between you and your boss. Rather than risking your relationship you have with the person you directly report to, you’ll have to create a plan on how to get noticed by your boss’s boss. You can do so by starting with the following ways. 

Believe in the company’s values

Companies all have values that they like to see their employees believe in and follow. For example, Google believes that fast is better than slow, focusing on the user, and great just isn’t good enough. Knowing these values, employees at Google understand what the company is looking for in an excellent candidate for a promotion. Find out what your boss’s boss believes in and tailor your work to fit those values. Knowing that you are both on the same page, they’ll stop by your cubicle and have a chat with you soon enough. 

Think strategically

Managers, bosses, and executives love to see people who think outside of the box and solve problems in innovative ways. It could be a problem the company experiences frequently or a problem that suddenly arose. Look beyond your to-do list and think of what else the company could do to increase its revenue. Strategizing is a skill that doesn’t come naturally to everyone. It is something that you need to practice. Start with fixing something small and go from there before trying to impress your boss, and hopefully, your boss’s boss. Creating a chore chart at home is one example that you can then bring to the office. Use the same concept to organize a disorganized team and see where that takes you.

Ask for opportunities

Should you find yourself in a meeting where the company needs help with a side project, volunteer to help out. The mountain of paperwork on your desk may scare you away from doing so, but the benefits of taking on a project will pay off in the long run. It is a bold move to do what nobody else is willing to do. Management will take notice of this and separate you from the masses. Now that you are on their radar, they are sure to learn more about your work ethic and past experiences at the company. 

Take ownership of your work

Whether you surpassed your boss’s expectations on a project you worked on or failed at it, take ownership of your work. Managers and executives like to see employees who own their successes and mistakes. Should you miss the mark on a project, first speak with your manager about it and don’t make any excuses. Discuss how you can resolve the issue and what you can do moving forward to ensure that this mistake will never happen again. Should you do an outstanding job, which will most likely be the case, take pride in your work, and be humble about it simultaneously. Give credit where credit is due when you work with a group of people. Your manager will pass along the information about how you lead the way in helping the company’s success. 

Have excellent communication skills

No matter what industry or role you are in, communication is key to running a company smoothly. Be thoughtful with your interactions and aware of who you are talking to. Come prepared to meetings and presentations, knowing who will be there. Display great communication skills by tailoring your message to each individual differently. Not everyone speaks the same business lingo. What you say to your boss, may not resonate with someone on your team. Understand when a person is not a part of initial conversations and bring them up to date on what you are talking about before you dive into further details. Your boss’s boss will recognize you taking the time to clearly communicate with others in the company and see that as a positive. Now you are the one they are thinking about leading a project or receiving a promotion because you’ve proved you know how to run an operation smoothly.

Speaking of using communication as a means to get noticed by your boss’s boss, you’ll want to take our How To Talk To Anyone To Advance Your Career. Impress both your manager and executives by learning how to build relationships by improving your communication, networking, and social skills. Click the link to find out more and to sign up today!