Thriving Under an Invisible Manager

​I took a dream job at a big global company.  Up to that point I had worked in increasingly larger organizations, but their smaller size (less than 1,000 employees) meant they all shared two things:  They had a lot of heart, and they were under-resourced.  I was not getting the opportunities I was looking for to develop my career.  I had great experiences at all of them, but I wasn’t growing.
 
I LOVED my time at the big global company, they were a fantastic organization, but there was one flaw in the dream:  I had an invisible boss.
 
Not only was my boss located in another country (same time zone, thankfully), but they were an incredibly busy person, completely consumed by meetings and travel, almost never in the office and juggling many competing demands.  I learned two things really quickly:

1. I never wanted to have their job.
2. I was going to have to fend for myself.

 
It was a big disappointment to me, because I’d purposefully targeted what I thought was a resource-rich environment for development.   Looking back on it, having to find ways to thrive in that circumstance was an opportunity for career development in itself.  I learned a lot of things, but here are the 2 key take-aways that helped me to thrive with an “invisible” manager:
 

1. Ask. Ask. Ask for what you need.  In the beginning I did not have the context or the contacts to get things done effectively in my new job.  I needed to learn more about the organization, the challenges it faced, the client group I was working with, etc.  and I needed to get into the right meetings.  To do that I let my invisible manger know what I needed in a carefully worded series of e-mails.  While my manager was unable to support me directly through time together, what did happen was a flurry of e-mails connecting me to all the people who could help.  A peer who understood both the business context and the client group and who had the time to share that with me, acting as a resource when I had questions.  Warm introductions to key players and internal contacts whom I would need to work with, so I could take the initiative and set up time with them.  I never got what would be considered a consistent “one-on-one” with my invisible manager, but I did get support when I asked for it.  
2. Leverage the “village”.  Even with an invisible boss, I was never truly on my own.  I had internal clients I supported, clients who offered me invaluable feedback and suggestions that helped me to develop my strategic thinking and communication skills.  I had local leadership in the site-office where I worked, who were not my “boss”, but with whom I worked closely and benefitted from their expertise and guidance.  I had peers, mentors and a mentee, all of whom shaped my evolving way of working for the better through conversations and seeing things from different perspectives.  It takes a village to thrive in a complex working environment.  Even when your boss is physically there for you, building internal professional connections is key to supporting your ongoing professional development whatever the circumstance at work.

 
I credit my time in that organization with helping me build skills and awareness that still support me in what I do today (even though what I do now is very different).  Which points to the importance of finding, and using, ongoing coaching (formal and informal) as a way to keep your stress levels down, and your professional effectiveness at peak performance.
 
Of course, back then, career coaching wasn’t a thing.  Looking back, I would have invested in a coaching program (if one had been available) as another way to thrive in an unwelcome circumstance because the big investment I was making in moving to that multi-national was in myself, and I knew I was a great investment.
 
And so are you.

Trying to navigate your career with an invisible boss?  I can help.

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