How To Welcome A New Boss

How To Welcome A New Boss

Who Is A Boss?

The Oxford Advanced learner’s dictionary eighth edition defines a boss as a person who is in charge of other people at work and tells them what to do.

 

How To Welcome A New Boss

Having to cope with a new boss at work can be a stressful endeavor. You will struggle to know who your new boss actually is, what kind of values and working culture he is going to bring to the office.

Here are different ways to welcome a new boss:

  1. know your Job:  Every boss always wants to work with a staff/employee that knows how to execute his/her job roles effectively. Knowing how to do your job is the most important way to impress your new boss. Good leaders have a special way of sizing their new team members within the first few weeks. A new boss will definitely ask questions concerning the people that he/she will be working with. If you are good at what you do, your new boss will show interest but if you are not, he/she may not pay attention.
  2. Introduce Yourself To Your Boss: The importance of establishing rapport with a new boss cannot be over-emphasized. When introducing yourself to your new boss, remember to include your name, position, and how long you have worked for the company

If you are also new to the company, your self-introduction speech can be tweaked. For example,

It is so nice to meet you, Mr. A. My name is Sam and I was just hired as a journalist in the news department. I am happy to be part of the XYZ team and l look forward to working with you.

To get your boss to know you, it is advisable to send a portfolio ahead of time. Give a summary of your responsibilities, the projects you are working on, and any other information that may not be in your official employee file.

  1. EarnTheir Appreciation: Humans always gravitate towards people that make them feel at home whether they are just meeting you for the first time or they have been in communication with you for months or years. There are certain behaviors that your new boss will appreciate and there are behaviors that your new boss will not appreciate.

Behaviors that your new boss will appreciate are:

    • Enthusiasm
    • Optimism
    • Curiosity
    • Initiative
    • Good judgment

Behaviors that your new boss will not appreciate are:

    • Cynicism
    • Finger-pointing
    • Acting like a know-it-all.
    • Laziness
    • Pessimism
  1. Ask Questions: Find out what your new boss expects from you and your colleagues in general. This will help both parties to be on the same side.
  2. HelpYour New BossLearn: Carry out your research to find out what your new boss needs to know and provide help when the need arises. If your new boss does not show interest in learning, that is a red flag. Ideally, a new manager spends the first three months asking questions and listening.
  3. BeOpen To Change: Every new boss comes into a new organization with what they need to achieve. If you are not open to learning new ways to execute a project, you may be at loggerheads with your boss and that is not a good way to welcome a new boss.
  4. Conduct Background Research: The fastest and easiest way to run a background check on your new boss is through a google search. Go through their social media profile, and find out about their leadership style, interests, and what he/she loves to do.
  5. Protect The Image Of Your Boss: Imagine that you already have an existing positive working relationship with your boss and act accordingly. Be aware that anything you say about your new boss will get to the ears of your boss or end up on the internet, this may not be good publicity for your boss or the company.
  1. Do Not Be A Leech: A sensitive boss usually knows the difference between sucking up and genuine courtesy. Try to build a healthy relationship with your new boss but do not go overboard.
  2. Promote Mutual Respect and Support: The Employee Assistance Network stresses the importance of communication in building and sustaining positive working relationships in the workplace. As an employee, you can do your part by being teachable and flexible to supervision instead of arguing about a change in duties. Mutual acceptance and understanding between a boss and an employee can make it easier to discuss issues that may arise.
  3. Write A Welcome Message: Sending a welcome letter to your new boss is the warmest way to welcome him/her. Welcome messages are vital to let someone know how happy you are to see him/her join you at your place of work.

Here is a  list of welcome messages that you can send to your new boss that will leave a lasting impression.

  • You’re are welcome to our company. Together we will have a great time. Wishing you all the best. Welcome boss.
  • The XYZ company is so happy to have you on board as the new boss. You are godsent to our company. Welcome, Sir/ Ma’am.  We are so appreciative.
  • Our company is genuinely happy that you decided to join our team. We believe that you will be one of the great assets in the company. We can’t wait to know your plans for our team. Welcome!
  • We are proud to have you with us in our office. Our whole team believes in you. You are welcome.
  • On behalf of all the staff of XYZ company, I welcome you. I hope you will have an excellent time working with us.
  • Our company is pleased with your decision to join us. We believe that you can be one of the best advantages of our company. We are excited to have you join our remarkable team.
  • It gladdens our hearts to know that you chose to be a part of our company. Our whole team is working on the same project and your participation is very important in this project.
  • On behalf of the members and supervisors of XYZ company, I welcome you to our reputable organization. We look forward to achieving more milestones with you.

 

How Not To Welcome Your New Boss

The following are how not to welcome a new boss.

  1. Keep Mute: As an employee, if you are not happy about the change in management, you can do your part by keeping your mouth shut and your head down. Your new boss should learn the hard way. Speak only when you are asked to speak and only give information that is not necessary.
  2. Deceive Your Boss: The best way not to welcome your new boss is by deceiving your boss, acting like you are a friend but in reality, you are actually leading your boss to disaster.
  3. Spoil The Image Of Your Boss: Your best chance at success and climbing the ladder is by doing everything you can to ruin the image of your new boss. The dumber your new boss looks, the smarter you will look.
  4. Laziness: The easiest way not to welcome a new boss is by being lazy. You were not employed to be a bench warmer in the organization. If it takes you a long time in executing simple tasks like sending emails to clients and scheduling meetings, your new boss will not be enthusiastic to work with you or give you a project to handle.
  5. Gossip: One of the major reasons why you may not have a smooth relationship with your new boss is because you gossip. Your new boss is trying to figure out how to run the affairs of the organization and you are already twenty steps ahead of him/her spreading false stories because you feel he/she is not the right person for the position.
  1. Low Performance: If you are not performing at your utmost best at your workplace, your boss may not like you. If your boss always complains about your work, you are giving your boss the impression that you are unreliable and that your presence in the company may hinder the growth of the company. Imagine getting fired by a new boss.
  2. Lack Of Good Work Ethics: You probably don’t like your new boss and you want to use every opportunity to make him or her feel uncomfortable by portraying attitudes that are against the ethics of the company, your boss who is new, may keep you under close watch and when he or she has found a strong foot in the organization, be prepared because you will face the consequences of your unruly behavior.
  3. Lack Of Coordination: Another way not to welcome your boss is to show your boss that you lack coordination. For example, your job designation is to send emails to clients first thing in the morning but you are always waiting for your boss to always remind you of what you ought to do.

 

What A New Boss Expects From Employees

As a staff or an employee, you need to remember that your new boss will have to go through a learning or transitioning process. This means that you need to present yourself as a useful source of guidance to your new boss. Trust is important in the workplace, you can be considered a trustworthy staff when you provide vital information to your new boss.

The following are what your new boss expects from employees:

  1. Send An Email: A new boss may not tell you to send an email, but he or she will be expecting an email from you. Send a friendly email outlining your role, even if you may have discussed this with them in person. It is important that you send a mail to your new boss to solidify your communication.
  2. Create A Chart: Create an organizational chart with all the employees and their portfolios so that the manager can have a better understanding of the people that he or she will be working with and also know the roles of each employee.
  3. Goals: Every organization has goals that it wants to achieve. Go through the goals of the company and give the highlights of the goals to the new boss, make the new boss understand where your team is at executing the goals and the challenges the employees are facing.

 

In conclusion, changes in leadership positions are part of your career development, and showing that you can adapt to different bosses and work environments is a transferable skill that will be needed when you want to change your job. Your relationship with your boss can make or mar your job performance. When you are meeting with a new boss for the first time, it is important to start on a good note.

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