Being your boss’s dream employee is something we all strive towards. Being anyone’s favorite is always a great feeling, but when that person has a huge influence over your life, as well as your pay packet, it suddenly becomes so much more important to get on their good side.

A bad relationship with your boss can be a make or break situation for your career, so ensuring that you have the best working relationship with them is of high importance if you want to reach the goals you’ve worked so hard towards all your life. If you’re having difficulty in getting in their bad books, start doing these things.

Ask them the right questions

When we start a new job (and even throughout our time in a certain position), questions will always pop up every now and again. It will benefit you and your boss if you remember that you don’t need to go directly to them for the answer to every single inquiry you have. If you want to ask about company policy on uniform, try running it by your colleagues first. If you’re desperate to know how the printer works or how to change the ink, ask someone nearby or the person next to your and NOT your boss. They certainly won’t appreciate you wasting their time when they have plenty of things to be sorting themselves. Hint: It’s not the printer.

Learn what your boss wants

We’re all different. Your friends are all different, your partners have been different and so of course when it comes to having a boss, they’ll be different from others you’ve experienced in the past. Each will have their own way of working. Some might expect you to tell them what needs to be done in a one on one, whilst others would prefer you to articulate it all in a concise email that’s quick and easy for them to read. Learning to deliver information in a way that your boss wants it will definitely not go amiss.

Become a deadline King/Queen

Deadlines are there for a reason, so if you’re regularly failing to meet them then that’s going to be a problem. Not only are you failing to impress but you’re actually failing to do your job properly which is a far bigger issue. Make sure you’re meeting your deadlines at the very MINIMUM, but if you can, exceed them. Your boss will definitely love you for it and it’ll soon become evident that you’re a member of the team they cannot do without.

Get motivated

Whether it’s your dream job or a stepping stone to your end goal, every job is massively important in achieving your long-term goals. If you’re struggling to motivate yourself then perhaps you need a little inspiration to help you reach them. Getting yourself a corporate trainer might be one of the best things you ever do for your career.

So, if you’re doing all these things and still failing to get on the good side of your boss, it’s perhaps an indication that you just haven’t chosen the right employer. If that’s the case, don’t sweat it too much and get job hunting ASAP.

This post has been contributed by Ryan Gatt, it may contain affiliate links.