Illustration: Luo Xuan/GT

I remember once being berated by my boss for sending a routine monthly report to our headquarters without showing it to him first. I complied with his wishes. When my new boss took over, based on my previous experience, I showed him the monthly report before sending it. He flung it into the corner with much dramatic flair: "Am I so free as to read these useless reports?" he growled.

Both of my bosses were very competent. But the above incident was an eye-opener for me: not all bosses are the same. Some are hands-on and others hands-off. It is up to the subordinate to learn this first lesson in boss management.

Once you get this, you then need to know how bosses acquire information from their subordinates. Some like to read lengthy reports. Others want brief memos. And there are many who prefer to hear directly from you, giving them verbal assessments. Again, it is the job of the subordinate to fathom what his boss really wants.

Of course, to properly use the above management skills, you will need to know your boss' personality: his/her vision and values, as well as style.

A person I know takes his problems frequently to his boss. He does not understand the pressures his boss has to face on a daily basis. The pressures could be financial, operational or even personal. While we may expect our bosses to care for us like our parents do, the reality is that they are very busy and have more to deal with than nursing hurt feelings and wounded egos.

Thus when we call on our boss with a problem, we should first have a clear idea about the problem. Equally important, we should have two or three solutions in our minds, and if asked, be able to tell him the most preferred one in a short time.

Many managers have confided in me that they want their bosses to delegate more. Nothing is wrong with asking for autonomy. But I tell them, for this to happen, the boss will need first to develop trust in them.

A manager contradicted his boss publicly and undermined their relationship. This mistake is inexcusable. One must learn this golden rule by heart: do not challenge your boss in front of others. If you think he is wrong, wait for a private moment and ensure he is in a good mood. Say it diplomatically and leave it at that.

Of course, I am not saying that we should kowtow to our bosses on every whim and fancy that may cross their minds.

But I have a hunch: perhaps the most important reason people are unhappy in their jobs and even quit does not lie in their technical skills. It lies in the relationship they have with their bosses.

And yet few take the trouble of equipping themselves with perhaps the most important skill they will need in their careers - the ability to manage their bosses.

Managing upward is at least as important as managing downward, and there is nothing unsavory about it.

This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.