Dealing with multiple bosses

As businesses become more complex and departments merge, it's increasingly common for employees to work with more than one manager at a time. While this is likelier to happen in bigger organizations, it is just as common in start-ups and family-owned businesses. In a family-owned business, the structure of authority is often shadowy and roles frequently overlap. As a result, employees can find themselves reporting to multiple members of the same family.
But there are some challenges to working for more than one person that you just have to look out for. What can you do to manage these challenges?

Identify the challenges

Work overload inevitable when assignments come from different bosses. When managers are in charge of separate projects and tasks, they might give directives without considering if their subordinates have other duties.
Multiple bosses sending mixed messages further confuse the process of prioritizing tasks and meeting goals and deadlines. Bosses might not purposefully give directives that conflict with one another's, but they do have different management styles and personalities. Moreover, the quality of work that one boss finds acceptable might not be acceptable to another.

Be open about your work load

If you have two bosses giving you work, then there will always be competition for your time and attention. If it gets too bad, for example, where the goals actively clash and you can't achieve both, then it's not something you can solve yourself and you need to speak up about it to your bosses. Be sure your bosses know what's on your plate. While it may not be in your job description to negotiate between your bosses, research suggests that most bosses prefer proactive employees.

Be professional, say no to nepotism

It's not unusual to like one boss more than the other. This is dangerous because sometimes you might subconsciously do the work of one boss better or faster than the work of the other. The best thing is to remain impartial and professional. Successful employees think strategically about their careers and where they want their careers to go. If sales is your focus and one manager clearly has more of a sales role, you may want to gravitate towards that person. But don't forget about your other boss. Make them feel like you care as well. Remember that you can learn so much from anyone, so don't let two managers throw you. Make sure you profit from every experience.

Know who's on top

It's your job to report to all of your bosses, but if you work for multiple bosses from different administrative levels, the one at the top of the totem pole will likely have more important demands that must be submitted on time and require more of your attention. Know who your real boss is. Who does your final performance review? Who makes decisions regarding your compensation?

Understand personality differences

Mr Rafiq supported several individuals as an Executive Assistant. One boss was much more hands-on - he liked to have constant communication and wanted to know all the details. Another was absolutely hands-off; he would much rather see Mr. Rafiq take initiative, work independently and take over the bottom line. It was important for him to manage them differently. Chances are pretty good that the people you work for will all have different personalities, preferences and work styles. You'll need to adapt your strategy for each individual. Make sure you recognize the differences and take note of how each person likes things done.

Get your bosses to communicate

Your bosses are not talking to each other, and all the projects are “due yesterday”. You spend more time trying to interpret what is your real priority and what isn't, who is being genuine when you're told the project is “due immediately” and who isn't. Working for two bosses is like being involved in a love triangle. However, to avoid the foreseeable blow-up, there should be transparent communication between all parties. It's often tough to get everyone together for a face-to-face meeting, but in the end, face-to-face meetings do work best. If there's a conflict between bosses, make it clear that you're not choosing sides and you want your bosses to fix out over what gets done first instead of putting you in the middle.

Having more than one boss can have its advantages—but it needs coordination. By using these simple strategies, you can minimize the challenges and harvest the benefits of working in this stimulating environment. Don't wait for someone else to make your goals and position clear. Take this as an opportunity to carve out your own ideas and shape your role in areas that interest you. You are the only person who really understands your role in entirety.

The writer is the Head of HR & Admin at Grameen Telecom Trust