Episode Transcript
Your boss has expectations of you.
And all your energy is going toward meeting them.
Your strong work ethic is important to you. And so is your desire to make a good impression.
To show that you’re capable.
That you have high standards. And can do the job well.
Even though your talent and capabilities are not in question, you tend to over-focus on them.
A little bit of your perfectionism creeps in. And your fear of making mistakes.
I understand. As a woman engineer it’s hard to get the credit and opportunities you deserve.
But with too much focus on your boss’s expectations of you, you forget about the expectations you have of them.
The Basic Support You Can Expect from Your Engineering Boss
You forget that it’s a 2-way street.
And that there are things you can reasonably expect from your boss in return.
In fact you should expect your boss to provide certain things for you.
This is something I didn’t realize until much later in my career. Which is why I want you to get the message now.
You should expect your boss to provide certain things for you.
Not everything.
You may remember we made a pretty good wish list of what makes an ideal boss back in Episode 56.
A boss that meets all those expectations would be pretty awesome.
Well bosses aren’t perfect.
But it’s reasonable to expect at least some basic support and guidance from them.
Guidance on job requirements, your performance, your career path, the organizational culture, and so on.
And reasonably often.
Your Engineering Boss Should Provide These 3 Things
I would say the top 3 things you can look to your boss to provide are:
- Feedback
- Career Advising
- Recommendations and Resources
Let me give you a little more explanation of what these mean.
- Feedback
You should expect frequent, sincere, honest and complete feedback from your boss.
With the intent to reach your goals and progress along your career path.
Feedback is key.
It should include the plusses and the minuses of your performance.
The hard conversations.
And help with accepting and managing feedback.
- Career Advising
Your boss should be having periodic meetings with you that are focused on your career, next steps, and opportunities.
This includes updating your personal development plan.
Advising on workplace culture.
And informing you about “how things work around here.”
- Recommendations and Resources
4 ways your boss can provide you recommendations and resources are as follows:
- First, you can expect your boss to give you recommendations for and access to training.
Including technical, professional development and leadership training. Both internal and external.
- Second, your boss should provide resources, such as funding, personnel, equipment, and technology.
- Third, your boss should help you connect to colleagues and peers. To key players in the organization, the community and the field.
This includes connection to mentors, sponsors, role models, and people of influence.
- And fourth, your boss should help you get access to experiences.
These can be job opportunities, temporary or broadening assignments, leadership opportunities.
And various tasks, teams or committees that will enhance your resume.
Depending on your job and how far along you are in your career, you’ll gradually be able to rely less on your boss and more on yourself.
But if you need these kinds of support, your boss is the one you can count on for help.
More on How Women Engineers Deal with Bosses and Expectations
More episodes are available for you to listen to about dealing with your boss and your expectations of them.
For more about self-advocacy, see:
- How to Ask for What You Need and Want – Episode 8.
- Advocating for Yourself and Your Promising Engineering Career – Episode 78.
- Self-Advocacy to Get What You Deserve in Your Engineering Career – Episode 30.
You can also get a free copy of A Woman Engineer’s Guide for Self-Advocacy and Career Messaging.
For more about consulting with your boss, see Career Care, Part II – Episode 2.
For more about helping your boss serve you better, see Help Your Boss Help You in Your Engineering Career – Episode 31.
For more about understanding your boss’s philosophy, see Tips for Settling into Your New Job – Episode 39.
For more on requesting insight and feedback, see How to Ask Your Boss Pointed Questions About Your Progress – Episode 66.
And for more about “minding the gap,” see:
- The Secret of Alignment Between Your Engineering Career and the Mission – Episode 134.
- Bridging the Gap Between Your Engineering Career and Your Employer’s Best Interests – Episode 145.
Next time on Her Engineering Career Podcast we’ll explore ways to advocate for yourself. And why they’re so important for your career success.
Be sure to join me for Episode 168.