IS YOUR BOSS ADVOCATING FOR YOU?

October 4, 2018

Years ago, I relocated to begin a new job. I was both nervous and excited to be moving to a new city, taking on the challenges of a new job and having the opportunity to meet new friends and colleagues. Under all the nervous energy was the commitment to exceed expectations and be someone my new boss could be proud of. I dove right in and eagerly completed tasks he had inherited in anticipation of my arrival. I received numerous accolades and was feeling pretty good about the overall decision to join the company. However, a few months into the job while heading to the cafeteria to grab a quick bite, my boss exclaimed out of the blue, “Now that you are here, I feel like I’m not needed anymore.”
“What are you talking about?” I quickly responded. He had been with the company for nearly 30 years and had extensive knowledge. Besides, I enjoyed working with him.

However, as I reflected on his comment, it made me a little uncomfortable. I began questioning whether this was someone who would advocate for me.

I had started to build a relationship with the department head who had recruited me, and a few weeks later mentioned the conversation to him. “Are you sure you heard it right?” he replied.

“I’m certain I heard it correctly,” I responded.

However, I don’t think he really believed me until the three of us were together in an update meeting and my manager blurted out, “Now that LaNella’s here, I feel like I’m not needed.”
To the department director’s credit, I was moved from under my boss within two weeks.

I’ve had great bosses and not so great ones. We all know that having a great boss can be a life changing gift. Having a boss that advocates for you can lead to promotions and significant opportunity. On the flip side, a boss who doesn’t advocate for you can stunt your growth and block career opportunities. As most advocacy happens behind closed doors, you may not even know who is for or against you. As the saying goes, 80% of what’s said about you, is said when you’re not in the room.

In the case of my manager, I’m fortunate that he was so transparent. I tried to find out why he felt that way and asked for his feedback. He stated he was an older white male who didn’t have a college degree and had rose through the ranks on hard work. I felt sorry for him, but I also couldn’t carry his burden.

When you discover you have a boss who isn’t advocating for you, an initial reaction might be to begin promoting yourself. However, self-promotion can sometimes backfire and position you as narcissistic and egotistical. The ideal situation is to let others toot your horn on your behalf.

Assuming your performance is strong, here are some steps you can take to navigate the advocacy gap.

Don’t Take It Personally—In the case of my manager it was clear he was insecure and saw me as competition. I tried to have a discussion with him and reassure him it was far from the truth and that all of our skills were needed. However, I also realized I had to let go of the anger and disappointment that I had developed as a result of his comments.

Look for Other Advocates—I was fortunate to have built a relationship with the department head and he ultimately became my champion and sponsor. In addition to producing excellent work, I also raised my hand to participate in cross-functional projects that increased my visibility across the organization. These projects also provided opportunities to meet other influencers and develop other advocates across the company.

Build a 360-degree Advocacy Network—Building a network inside and outside of your company provides advocates all around. You never know who is connected to whom. Many opportunities have come my way from the most unlikely and unexpected relationships. For instance, I befriended a colleague who had been given an office in a corner behind mine. She happened to be working on a special project and seemed to be isolated from the rest of the organization. Through conversations, I discovered that her husband was an HR manager at PNC Bank. She recommended me for a marketing officer job he was recruiting for, I ended up getting the position and was promoted three times over a 10-year period. I don’t think I would have ever known about the position if I hadn’t built a relationship with her.

The bottom line is we all need champions in the workplace. However, having a boss that doesn’t advocate for you doesn’t have to stop your career progress.

What tips have you used for finding advocates? Let me know.