Getting along with the boss

　　What bosses want is fairly simple. They want good employees， loyal， hardworking team players， in a nutshell1. Beyond this， what they expect in terms of deference2 is often more subtle and left to the employee to discern3. The amount of deference¹ bosses expect varies from office to office， but here are some general guidelines：

　　＊ Show respect by letting your boss go through doors and exit elevators ahead of you.

　　＊ Be slow to use first names.Until a boss tells you to call him " John" instead of " Mr.Leland，" stick with the title，especially if you're young and newly hired.If the boss doesn't tell you what to call him， and you notice that everyone uses his first name，then after a few weeks or months on the job，you can switch to it，too.

　　＊ Let the boss take the lead in conversation. This doesn't mean you never start a conversation or that you don't say good morning， just that most of the time you take your cue from4 her. In general， bosses get to set the tone， time， place， and content of your talks. It's presumptuous5 for a mailroom clerk （or almost any other employee） to take it upon himself 6 to discuss golf， for example， with the chairman of the board while they're sharing an elevator.

　　What makes a good employee？

　　There are ten simple rules that will make you beloved of bosses， fellow workers， and customers alike：

　　1. Be there when you're supposed to be. Show up on time and stay until quitting time. If you've ever called a business five minutes before closing and gotten an employee who'd already gone home mentally，you know what this is about. Stay on the job until it's time to leave.

　　2. Be dependable. If you say you'll do something， then do it. Others are counting on you.

　　3. Meet deadlines. Others may need your work before they can do theirs.

　　4. Be a team player. Don't go to the boss with every little criticism of a co-orker. All around， it's easier to work with others than against them， and workplaces should be team-oriented.

　　5. Keep your private life out of the workplace as much as possible. Obviously you can't do this every minute，but it's still better to keep outside interference to a minimum.

　　6. Be courteous³ to everyone——the " small" people as well as the bigwigs7.

　　7. Be fair to everyone. Treat everyone the same，regardless of gender⁴， religion， race——or personality.

　　8. Respect others' privacy. Don't read a co-worker's mail or go through someone's desk unless it's absolutely necessary to do so.

　　9. Don't gossip. Sound like a funny rule for office life？ Well， lots of offices are hotbeds8 of gossip， and lots of damages get done. Good employees skip9 the gossip circuit10.

　　10. Accept criticism graciously. Try to avoid taking it personally， and use it to improve your performance.

　　与老板相处

　　老板所需相当简单。他们需要好的雇员——简言之，忠诚、勤勉的团队合作伙伴。此外，他们在恭顺方面对雇员的期望就往往比较微妙，这要由雇员自己去感受了。老板们到底期望多少顺从，因办公环境的不同而不同，但是这里有一些基本的行为准则：

　　＊让老板先进门，先下电梯，以示尊敬。

　　＊不要急于直呼其名。在老板让你称呼他"约翰"而不是"利兰先生"之前，一定要用头衔称呼，特别当你是一位年轻人又是初来乍到时。如果老板没有告诉你怎么称呼他，而你又发现每位雇员都直呼其名，那么工作几周或几个月后，你也可以直呼其名。

　　＊让老板打开话题。这并不是说你绝不能先开口或连声"早上好"都不说，而是在大多数时间里根据老板的指点或暗示行事。一般说来，老板定下你们交谈的基调、时间、地点和内容。如果一名收发室人员（或任何其他雇员）和董事长碰巧共乘一部电梯，前者打开话题，比如说打高尔夫球，那他必定被认为是胆大妄为的。

　　如何成为一名好雇员？

　　以下10条简单准则能够帮助你赢得上司、同事、甚至是客户的喜爱：

　　1.要守时。准时上班不早退。如果你曾经在下班前5分钟与一家公司通了电话，而你有一位心思已飞回家的雇员，你应该知道那会是什么结局。不到下班时间不要早退。

　　2.要可靠。如果你说你要做什么，那一定要做。别人都指望着你呢。

　　3.在截止期限内做完事。他人也许需要你完成的东西，他们才能开始工作。

　　4.要有团队精神。不要因对同事一点点不满就去找老板。不管怎么说，与别人共事比互相拆台要容易些。工作场所应该具有团队精神。

　　5.尽量不把私生活带到工作中。显然你不可能时时做到这一点，但还是尽量减少外界干扰为好。

　　6.对谁都要有礼貌——不管是"小人物"还是"头头脑脑".

　　7.公平对待人。一视同仁，不论其性别、宗教、种族或性格。

　　8.尊重他人的隐私。除非不得已，不要阅读同事的信件或乱翻他人的办公桌。

　　9.不要说闲话。对办公室而言，这一条听上去似乎是滑稽的办公室规则？但是许多办公室是闲言碎语的滋生地，造成了许多不良后果。好雇员应该避而远之。

　　10.大方地接受批评。就事论事，不要感到自尊心受损，将批评化作改进你工作的动力。

　　注释：

　　1.in a nutshell简括地（说）

　　2.deference n.遵从，尊敬

　　3.discern vt.识别，区别

　　4.take one's cue from学…的样，听…的劝告

　　5.presumptuous² adj.放肆的

　　6.take upon oneself（主动）承担，揽事

　　7.bigwig n.[口]要人，大亨

　　8.hot bed n.[喻]温床，滋事之所

　　9.skip vt.[口]故意略去

　　10.circuit n.[喻]途径，thegossip～小道消息途径

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