As if taking a new job weren't challenging enough, Jennifer A. Bristol was given two bosses in a former position with Charter Communications. She reported to both the vice president of human resources and the corporate director.
"The two bosses were in different cities. My role was new, and each boss had a different perspective on what it was and what I should accomplish," said Bristol, a leadership development coach and principal of Talent Advantage Group in Atlanta.
 SCOTT THIGPEN/Special |
 LEITA COWART/Special |
| Jennifer A. Bristol, principal of Talent Advantage Group in Atlanta, speaks from experience when she talks to clients about the challenges and opportunities of working for two bosses. She faced that situation in a former job and was able to make the arrangement work smoothly for everyone. |
Having lived through a similar situation at a different company, Bristol knew that she had to find a way to please both bosses without doubling her work.
"I had to be the negotiator and the glue between them, the person that held it all together, because they didn't really understand one another," Bristol said.
Today, she tells her business clients that working for two bosses takes communication, confidence and collaboration.
"You simply can't do two different jobs and please both people 100 percent, so part of your job is to become the negotiator," she said. "You first have to assume that both bosses have positive intent; that's the case in most situations. They're not trying to make your life difficult. They're just trying to accomplish their goals, and [they] have different views on what works."
Defining the role
The first step in a new position is to align how the bosses see your role.
"Preferably in a face-to-face meeting, you have to negotiate a shared vision of the purpose of the job," Bristol said.
She said this works best if you have done a multiple-perspective exercise beforehand.
"Leaders often develop their negotiator/mediator skills in this way," Bristol said.
You first look at your job (or situation) from your own perspective. What are your goals and needs? Then, look at the job from each boss's point of view. What are their goals and needs, and how can your role support them?
Then, you take the objective point of view. Look at all three positions in a neutral way, like a case study.
Finally, become a contextual observer and look at the situation from the big-picture view, including what you know about the company goals and history. Why was this position created? How does it fit into bottom-line results?
"You still have to be true to yourself and your own needs when you go into the meeting to negotiate a shared vision, but, having thought about the job from multiple perspectives, you are better prepared to discuss and develop ideas," Bristol said. "By doing the prework, you can ask, 'What do we need to do collectively to be successful?' "
With a shared vision, you can agree on priorities and talk about what results are desired and how they will be measured.
"You need to come to an agreement on what work is a first priority and what [is] a second, etc., and then you follow up with the plan in writing," Bristol said.
If alignment can't be reached, it may be necessary to bring in a third party — perhaps someone higher than both bosses within the company.
Making it work
Starting out on the same page is essential. Staying on the same page day-to-day takes practice and good communication skills.
"You have to keep everyone in the loop, especially if you sit close to one boss, and the other is in a different office. You can forget to communicate with your other supervisor, and this only leads to misunderstandings," Bristol said. "When there's a time crunch or urgent priorities that will shift work, everyone needs to know."
The biggest mistake, she said, is trying to play both sides against the middle.
"You may be tempted to complain about one boss to the other, especially if you like or find it easier to work with one of them. Don't do it. Remember, your bosses do talk to one another," she said.
By understanding her negotiator role, Bristol was able to leave her job having gained the respect of both bosses, but that isn't always the case. Sometimes, personalities or work styles simply don't mesh.
"Handling the work of multiple bosses is a difficult balancing act and a common situation in today's work force, because so many companies have flattened their organizations," said Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, speaker, coach and author specializing in workplace success and founder/owner of AboutYOU Inc.
More companies operate with cross-functional teams or project management, which means that employees may report to multiple managers.
"When you are assigned tasks from different bosses with different agendas, they're likely to think that everything is important. If you don't want to be constantly deadline-driven or putting out fires, you have to be proactive about developing a priority system," Kahnweiler said.
You might ask your bosses to assign levels of importance to tasks, such as important/urgent (a presentation for a new client tomorrow) or important/not urgent (setting up an efficient filing system or building relationships with others in the company).
The idea is to get a better consensus about what work actually needs to be done when, and you may find that you've been doing things that aren't really necessary.
"It helps if you remember that your bosses aren't mind readers. They don't always know what someone else has asked you to do and how overwhelming your workload is," she said.
You're not a mind reader, either. To stay on target, ask each boss about his or her top priorities and how they fit with overall objectives.
"When priorities are conflicting, state your case, make it clear that you want to support everyone and ask them to work it out, so that you don't get caught in the middle," Kahnweiler said. "People who try to do it all get frustrated [and] burned out, and their performance suffers. You don't have to be aggressive or adversarial, but you do have to be assertive and set boundaries."
Managing up
Besides work-alignment and time-management skills, it helps to know how to manage upward, said Susan Mason, principal of Vital Visions, a Hamilton, N.Y., consulting firm that specializes in communication and core management skills. She is a frequent instructor with the American Management Association.
"Workers can be part of the leadership process by helping their managers achieve their goals," she said. "Instead of waiting to be told how you should be doing your work — bosses don't always know — you can show more value by learning what they need and telling them how you can most effectively support them."
They'll respect your ability to find rational solutions.
People work differently, but, if you suspend judgment about someone's messy office or abrupt way of communicating and keep your eye on the results you want to achieve, it may help you avoid the pitfalls of clashing over work-style or personality differences or of favoring one boss over another.
"Sometimes, you just have to say the serenity prayer, accept what you can't change and work around it," Mason said.
Don't assume you know what your bosses want or ignore problems that make your job more difficult, she added. If you constantly avoid or accommodate someone, you're not helping to resolve issues.
"Asking strategic questions and paraphrasing instructions back to them with action steps will help you decide better how to spend your time. It can also educate your managers about how work happens and how they can better utilize your skills," Mason said.
The upside
Despite the challenges, there are many positives in having multiple bosses, Kahnweiler said.
"In terms of career development, they will help you stretch and learn how to adapt to different management styles or company functions. That will make you more marketable and be good for your career," she said.
Multiple viewpoints give people a more thorough understanding of the workplace, Mason agreed.
"Seeing the work of different managers may help you decide what direction to take with your career," she said. "You'll get a sense of what it really takes to do certain positions, and that's good information to have."