Do You Need Anything Before I Head Out?

Early on in my career I got a bit of constructive criticism that stung at the time, but has become an interesting part of my criticism for others as a boss.

At the end of the day when my shift was over, I would shut down, grab my purse, and head into my bosses office to ask if she needed anything else. The truth is I never intended on helping with anything else; I was already one foot out the door.

I never thought that it was a big deal until one day she told me “If you really wanted to offer help, you would ask me if I needed anything before you were already walking out the door. Spare me the pleasantries.”

Ouch! She caught me red handed, it was an embarrassment that I certainly wish I could have done without, and you better bet that from that day on I was in her office fifteen minutes before the end of my shift GENUINELY asking if there was anything I could help her with.

It reminded me of times when I needed to get home for some reason or had to make an appointment. What if she DID need help and had asked me to stay? How would I gracefully explain that I really didn’t mean to be offering my assistance, I just wanted to look good?

I would much rather one of my employees stop by and say “I’m taking off; have a good night” versus asking me if I need help when they have their coat and sunglasses on and car keys in hand. It is obvious that they have no intentions on helping, and it would make ME feel like a jerk if I did ask for help.

I learned a valuable lesson that day that carries through personally and professionally: if you don’t really want to help, don’t offer. Being genuine goes a long way and will spare you some embarrassment along the way!

My two cents, anyway :-)

Take a Time Out Before Asking for Time Off

While there are exceptions to every rule, I bet your boss gets in before you, works later than you, skips birthday parties and graduations to be at work, and will come in sick as a dog when they should be in a containment unit.

The next time you plan on calling in sick or asking for time off, think about your bosses dedication before doing so, because that is the exact thing they are going to think about as they consider your request for time off. Are you too sick to work, or would you just rather stay home and relax for the day?

Next up is the request itself. Telling your boss "I won't be in today" or "I need Monday off" can be seen as incredibly disrespectful. Why don't you try one of the following instead:

*I woke up this morning feeling really ill. I'm concerned about my performance and getting others sick, so I thought I would defer to you as my supervisor to decide whether I should come in or not.

*I just found out that my cousins graduation is next week during the workday. I know how important it is for me to be here everyday and that we are supposed to ask for time off two weeks in advance, but this is obviously a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I really want to be a part of. Is there any way I can come in for a half day and make up the time by coming in early the rest of the week?

The above give your supervisor the choice versus you telling them what is going to happen, and I would say that 99/100 times you are going to get what you want! Most people want the best for others and any reasonable boss will tell you to stay home or to enjoy yourself at your cousins graduation and they will respect YOU for respecting THEM.

...PS... the purpose of this post is to give people an insight into the way that bosses/supervisors think (from my perspective). If you are looking to make the best impression and get ahead in your career, the advice I give is based on the things I look for in those that I trust, promote, and know are dedicated to their career. The people I put in key positions are people that I know take their jobs seriously and only take time off when they actually need it, versus those that call in sick because they were up too late the night before or just want to lounge in bed all day.