Everyone knows how important it is to have a good relationship with their boss, but not everyone knows how to go about doing this. There are many things you can do that are completely legitimate and won’t make you look like a suck up. Here are ten simple ways to make your boss like you without sucking up.

1. Never Gossip About Your Boss
If you have anything negative to say about your boss, don’t talk about it with your coworkers. Instead, wait for work to end and talk with your non-coworker friends about it. It is very likely that anything negative you say about your boss will eventually reach his/her ears. This can make an enemy out of someone in a higher position than you which can severely hurt your career and reputation.

2. Get To Know Your Boss
If your office culture allows casual conversation during the day, make an effort to stop by your boss’s office and ask how he/she is doing. Ask about their weekend, families, hobbies, or whatever else they might be interested in talking about. Your boss will probably have family photos, vacation photos, and other important items posted on their walls, which makes starting a conversation easier.

After learning a little about them and their lives, you can have more conversations with them in the future. Learning more about your boss is something that is free and enjoyable and can benefit you greatly. So take some initiative and get to know your boss a little more.

3. Ask For Advice
If you have a work or career related problem, ask your boss for advice. Asking for advice will show your boss that you trust him/her and you value his/her opinion. If you act on the advice you get, follow up and tell your boss what happened (assuming the advice had a positive effect). Validating your boss’s advice will make him/her feel better and will strengthen the relationship you share.

4. Don’t Slack Off
Make sure you stay focused at work and don’t slack off. Limit the time you spend chatting with coworkers, snacking, and surfing the internet. Try to keep work in front of you at all times so it at least looks like you are doing something. If your boss gets the impression that you slack off too much, he or she will lose your trust and think you’re working less than you might be. Also, when you are not as involved in your work, time will move more slowly, and your day will just seem longer. So stay on task and really wrap yourself in your work.

5. Maintain A Positive Attitude
Maintaining a positive attitude will help boost the moral of your boss and coworkers. Talk about the things that are going well on a project and be optimistic about overcoming the problems you face. No one benefits from or enjoys someone who worries and complains about everything.

6. Don’t Be A Yes Man
Being a yes man will make your coworkers and boss despise you. A yes man often comes off as insincere and sleazy. Also a boss will never treat a yes man as an equal, which greatly limits future advancement. Being a yes man is bad, but that doesn’t mean you should constantly disagree with your boss. Be professional and have the confidence and smarts to agree and disagree with your boss when the time is right.

7. Keep It Professional
It doesn’t hurt to spice things up every now and then at the office, but for the most part, keep it professional. Don’t plaster your walls with comics or internet jokes and make sure your attire is always appropriate. Don’t be too casual at work because work is supposed to be taken seriously. If you take a more casual approach to work, your boss may think you are uninterested in your career.

8. Produce Results
Make sure you can produce results on the projects you are working on. If you ever get stuck ask around for help until you are able to complete a given task. This will give you a reputation of being a hard worker and will give you a chance to interact with your coworkers in a positive way.

9. Be Consistent
Get to a level where you have a good relationship with your boss and stay on course. Be consistent in everything you do to continue building the relationship you have with your boss. If you fizzle out or show signs of change, your boss will likely be turned off by that.

10. Have Good Relationships With Your Coworkers
Having strong relationships with your coworkers can make a huge difference in how your boss perceives you. If your coworkers love and respect you, it is likely your boss will too. Having strong relationships with your coworkers will also make it easier for you to find help, and delegate tasks. Your boss will see this and give you more responsibility which can lead to future career advancements. Having good relationships with your coworkers will also make your work life more enjoyable.

Having a good relationship with your boss can help you have a more successful career and life. There are many more ways to improve the relationship between you and your boss. We encourage you to try as many as you can, just don’t suck up.