Navigating the Management Chain
Identify the chain of command. Even if you report to multiple bosses, you probably have one primary boss. This is the individual who is ultimately capable of advancing or stalling your career. Once you figure out what your bosses' chain of command is and who has the final word on work-related matters, you'll be able to figure out how to prioritize your workflow and know whose decisions can override everyone else's. Ask specific questions about how your management team is structured. Find out who reports to whom and follow that chain to the top. You may also be able to determine the chain of command at your company by looking at which manager has seniority and/or wields the most power in the workplace. Work hard to please all of your bosses, but put the most time and effort into appeasing your "ultimate boss."
Determine each boss's management style. Some bosses prefer regular check-ins, while others step back and trust you to work on your own and get the job done on time. Which style works best for you is a matter of preference, but you may need to adjust to a management style you're not used to in order to appease one or more of your bosses. You should get a sense of how much your boss micromanages based on how they communicate with you. If you're not clear what your boss's management style is, try asking them. Say something like, "I want to make sure I'm keeping you adequately up to date without overloading you with my check-ins. What type of system would work best for you?"
Find out what each boss wants. It may go without saying, but a big part of navigating your management chain will entail knowing what's expected of you from each of your bosses at any given time. If one of your bosses doesn't make it clear what they want from you, you can find out by talking to that boss. Initiate an informal conversation about your collective objectives. For example, you might say something like, "Hey, when you get a chance, could we sit down and talk about what direction we should be moving this project in?" Set realistic goals and objectives with your bosses. Don't set the bar too high, but don't downplay your abilities by setting the bar too low, either.
Set appropriate boundaries. If one or more of your bosses likes to micromanage your work, it may eventually reach a point where your ability to work becomes impeded by their interruptions. If this happens, you may need to establish certain boundaries with your boss. However, you'll need to do this carefully and tactfully to avoid conflict in the workplace. Coming across as insubordinate or argumentative could cost you your job. Politely and professionally ask your boss if you can speak with them about your current project. Emphasize how important the project is to you, and how much you want to support your company's vision. Never pin the blame on your boss or accuse them of doing anything wrong. Frame the conversation around how you work best as an employee and what you need from your boss. Let your boss know if you need more or less management, but do so professionally. For example, you might say something like, "I respect and appreciate your position and everything you've done. I just think it might be easier for me to meet your expectations if I had a little more responsibility on this project." By setting your boundaries and establishing a better dynamic on one specific project, it will be much easier to transfer those boundaries and dynamics to other projects in the future. Focus on addressing how you respond to your boss's management style in one situation rather than "critiquing" your boss and their leadership abilities.
Communicating with Your Bosses
Check in with your bosses as needed. Some bosses want face-to-face meetings while others want email updates. Still others take a more hands-off approach to management. Your boss may want to micromanage your work at every step, or they may trust you to get your work done on time by yourself. Figure out how each boss prefers to communicate and delegate work to smooth out the reporting process. Ask each boss how they prefer to communicate and with what regularity. Then check in with them as often as you have to. You should also assess what communication method each boss prefers. For example, if your boss only wants an email update or phone conference once a month, asking for weekly face-to-face meetings will feel like a waste of their time. Report problems early. There is no reason for a boss to be blindsided because a problem has spiraled out of control. Don't try to minimize difficulty or impact. Instead, ask for suggestions to fix the problem, and don't make it worse by refusing to accept direction.
Let each boss know about your workload. Your boss should know what you're working on at any given time. That includes work from that boss and work assigned by your other managers. Ideally, none of your bosses will make unreasonable demands if they know what's on your plate for each manager. Never complain to any of your bosses about your workload from them or anyone else. Simply keep your boss in the loop by saying something like, "I just wanted to give you a heads up that next week I'll be working on _____ reports for _____." Try keeping an electronic calendar with all of your deadlines, meetings, and work progress updated in one place. That way you can simply share your calendar with all of your bosses. You can also mention what you're working on or what projects are coming up when you check in with each boss. Keep them all in the loop on what you're working on and for whom.
Ask to organize a group meeting. The best way to manage reporting to multiple bosses would be to include them all in a conversation with one another. If your bosses are amenable to it, getting everyone together for a joint meeting could help smooth out your chain of command and the order of operations for your work. Let each boss know that a group meeting would make it easier for you to perform optimally for each manager. When you ask your bosses, be polite and professional. Say something like, "I know you're very busy, but I think it would really help streamline the workflow and maximize communication if we had a group meeting with all of my other bosses." Having your bosses communicate with one another, either informally or through regular meetings, could also help make it clearer what your obligations are to your other bosses at any given time. Don't attempt to resolve conflicts between your bosses, as it may look like you are choosing sides. Explain the differences in priority and let them resolve any conflicts that arise.
Dealing with Stress
Clarify your own roles and responsibilities. If you're reporting to multiple bosses, you may feel confused at times about what's expected of you and by whom. Clarifying your roles and responsibilities, both with each boss and for your own understanding, can help take some of the stress off of working under multiple managers. Sit down and calculate who in your department should be doing what work, then determine what percentage of that workload should fall on your plate. Write out what you believe are your primary functions in the office and compare these to the expected role that your company established in their hiring guidelines (the role or roles you were told you'd be filling when you were hired/promoted). When you clarify your roles with your managers, bring a written list of each role/responsibility and ask each boss if they agree with that assessment. Say something like, "Would you agree that these are my roles/responsibilities? If not, can you clarify what I should be doing differently?" Then keep a copy of those roles/obligations at your desk in case you ever feel unsure of what you should be doing.
Try to de-personalize work problems. For many workers, it can be difficult not to internalize work-related problems. Under the stress of your job and the chaos of reporting to multiple bosses, you may begin to feel that everything that goes wrong is your fault. It can be helpful to remember in those situations that workplace problems are most likely a result of circumstances rather than anything you're doing wrong. Step back and ask yourself whether you actually did anything wrong. Would any of your colleagues have done things any differently, or was the situation unavoidable? Find ways to disengage from work at the end of the day. Do something relaxing and rewarding, like going for a walk, riding your bike, or spending time with family and friends.
Deal with a difficult boss. If one of your bosses is particularly hard on you or just generally difficult to work for, you may be experiencing a lot of stress. In situations like this, the best course of action is to be open and communicative with your boss. Be proactive by initiating conversations with your boss. You can ask about both professional and personal matters (if you deem it appropriate to do so). Try to get to know your boss a little and find some shared interests or things you have in common. This can help your boss see you as more of a relatable person. Once you've established some type of rapport, you can casually let your boss know how much you value your job and the company you work for. You may also want to ask your boss for suggestions on how to improve your professional relationship/collaboration. Say something like, "I feel like things are going well, but I just wanted to check in and see if there's anything you'd prefer I did differently."
Use your command chain to your benefit. While reporting to multiple bosses can be stressful, it can also be potentially advantageous to you. You can use your chain of command to advance your own career and get professional favors from time to time as needed. Find ways to make allies with as many of your bosses as you can. You can do this in subtle ways by getting to know your bosses, doing small favors for them, and establishing a good professional rapport with them. Spend more time and energy getting to know the boss or bosses whose position most closely aligns with your career goals. For example, if you want to focus on accounting, get to know the manager who can advance your accounting career. If you have a work-related request and one of your managers said no, discretely ask other managers until someone says yes. Once you figure out who is most likely to accommodate your requests, you can make that manager your go-to person to ask for favors.
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