3 things your boss won't tell you, but should
PJ Brice, founder and CEO of Cheeky, a Manhattan Beach, California-based maker of disposable tableware, says there are three things in particular most bosses will never tell you, but should.
They are:
1. 'Take a vacation when you feel like you need one.'
Most bosses won't encourage you to take a vacation - but they should, says Brice. Everyone needs a break from time to time - and your vacation can actually be beneficial to everyone in the company.
"Taking time off allows you to get a little distance from your work and therefore enables you to see things more clearly," Brice explains. "You'll come back a new person, amped and full of new ideas. Just don't wait until you're burnt out - start planning your next vacation now, whether you think you need one or not."
Getting the "okay" from a manager makes most people feel less guilty about taking time off (even though they shouldn't feel bad about it in the first place), so more bosses should let their employees know they support them taking vacations.
2. 'Take notes.'
Most bosses don't think to tell their employees, especially new ones, to take notes. "But bringing a notebook to every meeting will impress those around you," Brice says. "Your boss, buyers, customers, and anyone else you work with will appreciate that you jot down what they say. Taking notes shows you respect what they have to say and are listening closely. It helps you identify their thought process. And you'll thank yourself later when you've written down something brilliant."
3. 'Work isn't always fun.'
Managers don't always remind us of this, but it's a fact of life: Work isn't always enjoyable.
"Sometimes you have to buckle down, put in the hours, and take on work that's not altogether sexy," says Brice. "The secret is the satisfaction isn't always in the content of the work. If you're doing it right and working hard, you'll get in a flow and that's really fun."