How To Offer Assistance To Your Boss – 13 Effective Ways

Written By Aleena

Assisting your boss can be a great way to build a good relationship with them and improve your job performance. There are a few things when it comes to how to offer assistance to your boss:

Taking the initiative to help your boss when needed will show that you are a team player. And that you care about the company.

13 Ways To Offer Assistance To Your Boss

While your boss may never admit it, they likely need help from time to time. You can be the one to offer assistance and make their life a little bit easier.

Here are a few tips on how to offer assistance to your boss:

1. Pay Attention To Your Boss’s Workload:

If you want to offer assistance to your boss, you need to be aware of their workload. Pay attention to how much work they have on their plate.

For example, do they always seem to be working late? Or do they seem stressed out?

Be aware of  their workload - How To Offer Assistance To Your Boss

If you notice your boss’s workload is overwhelming, offer to help them out.

You can also check their meeting schedules on their Outlook or Google calendar. If you see that they have a lot of meetings, offer to take notes for them.

Or even if you see that they have a lot of travel coming up, offer to help them with packing or making arrangements.

2. Get Involved In Projects:

Another way to assist your boss is to get involved in projects. If you see that your boss is working on a big project, offer to help them out.

You can also volunteer for new projects. This will show your boss that you are eager to help and take on additional responsibilities.

For instance, if your boss is working on a marketing campaign, offer to help them with the design or copywriting.

Or, if they are working on a new product launch, offer to help with the research or testing.

3. Be Willing To Work Overtime:

If your boss is under a lot of pressure, they may need someone to stay late or work overtime. If you can, offer to stay late or work on the weekends.

This will show your boss that you are dedicated to your job. And that you are willing to go the extra mile.

However, this doesn’t mean that you should always be working overtime. If you work late every night, your boss will likely start to take advantage of you.

So make sure to set boundaries. And only offer to work overtime when you can do so.

4. Take On New Responsibilities:

If you want to be truly helpful to your boss, take on new responsibilities. This will free up their time so they can focus on other things.

For example, if your boss constantly has to field customer service calls, offer to take on that responsibility.

Or, if they constantly have to do the scheduling, offer to do it for them. Taking on new responsibilities will show your boss that you are reliable.

And that you are willing to go above and beyond your job duties.

5. Be A Good Listener:

One of the best ways to assist your boss is to be a good listener. Sometimes, all your boss needs are someone to listen to them.

If they are venting about a complex project, listen and offer your support.

Good listener - How To Offer Assistance To Your Boss

Or, if they are trying to come up with a new idea, listen to their ideas and offer your feedback.

Being a good listener will show your boss that you care about their work. And that you are invested in the company.

6. Be Proactive:

How is pro-activeness helpful? The best way to offer assistance to your boss is to be proactive.

This means that you anticipate their needs and take action before they have to ask for it.

For example, if your boss’s inbox is full, ask them to clear it out.

Or, if you see that they are getting swamped with emails, offer to filter through them. And only forward the important ones.

Or, if you know they have a big presentation, offer to help them with the slides.

By being proactive, you will make your boss’s life easier. And you will likely earn their appreciation.

7. Offer Encouragement:

Sometimes, the best way to offer assistance to your boss is to encourage. If you see that they are struggling with a project, offer them words of encouragement.

Tell them that you believe in them. And that you know they can do it. You can say, “I know you’re feeling overwhelmed right now. But I know you can handle it. You’re a great leader.”

Or you can say, “This project might be tough. But I know you’re up for the challenge.”

By offering encouragement, you will ensure that your boss feels supported. And that they know you are in their corner.

8. Be Positive:

Positivity is always helpful. But this doesn’t mean that you should fake it. But it does mean that you should try to see the silver lining in every situation.

For example, don’t focus on the negatives if a project is taking longer than expected. Instead, focus on the positives.

You can say, “It’s taking a little longer than we thought. But that’s because we’re being extra thorough. And in the end, it will be a great project.”

Or you can say, “I know this is a difficult situation. But we’re handling it well. And we’re going to come out of it even stronger.”

Your boss will appreciate your positive attitude. And it will help to keep everyone motivated.

9. Be Flexible:

Flexibility is critical in any job. But it’s essential if you want to be helpful to your boss.

This means you are willing to change your plans at the last minute. Or that you are ready to work longer hours when needed.

Flexibility

Your boss will appreciate your flexibility. And it will portray you as a team player.

However, you should also ensure you are not being taken advantage of. If you are always the one who is being flexible, your boss will start to expect it.

And that’s not fair to you. So make sure that you are setting boundaries. And that you are being treated fairly.

10. Offer Positive Feedback:

Sometimes, offering positive feedback is the best way to assist your boss. Let them know if you see that they are doing a good job.

Tell them that you appreciate their hard work. Or tell them that you are all impressed with their leadership skills.

Your boss will appreciate your positive feedback. And it will help to boost their confidence.

And when your boss is confident, they are more likely to be successful.

11. Consider Their Needs:

When offering assistance to your boss, it’s essential to consider their needs. This means you should think about what would be most helpful to them.

For example, if your boss is always short on time, offer to help them with time management.

Or, if your boss is always stressed, offer to help them with stress management.

By considering their needs, you will be able to offer beneficial assistance.

Otherwise, you might end up offering assistance that they don’t need. And that won’t be helpful to anyone.

12. Be Patient:

When you are helping your boss, it’s essential to be patient. Sometimes, your boss might not take you up on your offer right away.

And that’s okay. They might need some time to think about it. Or they might already have someone in mind for the job.

So don’t get discouraged if your boss doesn’t take you up on your offer immediately. Just be patient. And eventually, they will come to you.

13. Help Your Boss Without A Favor In Return:

One of the worst things you can do when assisting your boss is to expect something in return.

Don’t offer to help with a project unless you are genuinely interested in helping.

Expect something in return.

And don’t offer to do something outside of your job description. Unless you are willing to do it without expecting anything in return.

If you start to expect favors in return, your boss will catch on. And they will be less likely to take you up on your offer in the future.

So make sure that you are always helping for the right reasons. And don’t expect anything in return.

Dialogue 1:

Boss: I’m struggling to get this project done on time. Do you think you could help me out?

You: Of course. I would be happy to help you with the project.

Then you go on and help your boss with the project. You don’t expect anything in return. You want to help them out.

Dialogue 2:

You: “Hey boss, I noticed you’ve been struggling to get to work on time lately. Do you want me to help you with your alarm clock?”

Boss: “No, that’s okay. I can manage my alarm clock on my own. But thank you for offering to help.”

In this dialogue, the boss has declined the offer of help. But the important thing is you helped without expecting anything in return.

Dialogue 3:

“Hi boss, I wanted you to know that I am willing to work long hours this week if you need me to. I saw that you are behind on your project.”

This is a simple yet effective approach to offering help to your boss. You are letting them know that you are available without them asking.

Conclusion:

If you want to offer assistance to your boss, there are a few things you can do. First, offer to help with their workload (projects). Second, offer to help with time management (issues).

And third, be patient. Sometimes, your boss might not take you up on your offer right away. But if you are patient, they will come to you.

Just remember to help for the right reasons. And don’t expect anything in return. Otherwise, you will end up disappointed.

Last Updated on 8 months by Shahzaib Arshad

Aleena

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