Building a Boss You’ll Love: A Unique Approach to Professional Growth

Do you have one thing that you will bang on about at work until the end of time?

This is mine.

In this week's podcast episode, I'm putting a new spin on a transformative concept: building a boss.

If you know, Build-A-Bear Workshop (a place populated almost entity but 7 year olds where you create a customised stuffed animal) we explore how you can apply the Build-A-Bear to building the internal boss that guides your professional life.

If you're not familiar with Build-A-Bear, and honestly, unless you have a 7 year old, why would you be? It’s a place where you select a cuddly toy (they call it a "furry friend" cute!) and personalise it to your desired specification. Complete with clothes, shoes, sounds, and even scents. Now imagine going through this process, of selecting and building a furry friend to your exact specifications, but instead of creating your ideal toy, you're creating your ideal boss.

Not your actual boss of course (thought wouldn't that be a useful superpower?)but your internal boss, the one that lives inside your head.

Why Build Your Internal Boss?

We all carry around an internal boss—one that oversees every email we send, every job interview we attend, and every career move we make. Often, this internal boss is critical, demanding and generally unhelpful. But here's the crucial insight: you have the power to design this internal boss to better serve your needs and aspirations.

Would you love a boss who gave you a bit of encouragement at the end of each day? You got it. Want a boss who would draw a line under mistakes and help you move on? Brilliant.

All of these 'boss' features are in fact, highly customisable to your desired specifications!

Steps to Building Your Ideal Boss

1. Identify Your Current Internal Boss: Reflect on how your internal manager currently behaves. Is it supportive or critical? Does it encourage or undermine your confidence?

2. Define Your Ideal Boss: Think about the traits you would want in an internal boss. Would it be more encouraging, more trusting, or more patient?

3. Customise Your Boss’s Attributes:

- Feedback Style: Instead of harsh criticism, how about constructive feedback? For example, if you make a mistake, your new boss might say, "You did your best, and now you know how to improve for next time".

- Standards: Your internal boss should help you set realistic standards. Whether it’s space to try things out and get it wrong when you're new in role or being realistic about the amount you have to do v hours in the day.

- Encouragement: On tough days, your ideal boss might give you a bit of encouragement and a boost of confidence. "You’ve got the experience and skills, trust yourself."

4. Implement and Adjust: Start applying this new boss mentality. Observe the changes in your productivity, stress levels, confidence and overall happiness.

The Impact of a Supportive Internal Boss

Creating a supportive internal boss will lead to significant positive changes in your professional life. And I can say that because i;ve watched it happen over and over again with clients.

It can enhance your confidence, reduce stress, and increase your productivity. Most people think they need a toxic internal boss to motivate them and keep them in line, but baulk at the idea that kind of boss would do them any good in real life!

If you're intrigued by this concept, I highly recommend listening to the full podcast episode. We dive deeper into practical strategies for building your internal boss and share real-life stories of people who have transformed their careers by changing their internal management style.

You should have been taught this on day one of your career and I'm sorry you weren't given the years of torment you might have ensured at the hands of a harsh internal boss. But you're here now. And things can change.

Listen to the full episode here.

You have the power to create a more supportive and positive environment in your mind, which will be reflect in your professional achievements and the way you feel at work.

It’s time to build a boss you’ll love - you deserve it.

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Feel free to connect with me here on LinkedIn, reach out directly if you have any questions or you'd like to find out how you can teach your own team to build their own internal bosses.

Email: hello@yesyoucoaching.com