By Liz Ryan

REVELATION FROM ABOVE.  "I'm confused," you say to your boss. "Back on Apr. 24 we agreed on this direction. Help me understand what has changed."

You may learn something, like the fact that the board has adopted a different strategy for the business, or that a new budgetary constraint or (less likely) loosening has come into play, or that a philosophical shift is in the works. Or you may simply learn that your boss likes to change her mind.

If there was a change in direction that affects your plan, you can say: "I'm glad I checked back with you. What can I do differently to learn about these changes when they occur?" Of course, the answer may be "nothing" -- you simply may have to check back frequently with your boss.

ALIGNING GOALS.  But the answer could also be "read the report from marketing every week, and get on the distribution list" or "come to the weekly production meeting." If so, do it. Getting closer to any important source of information can only be good for your performance, and your career.

Or let's say that you learn only that your boss is capricious. Does this make her a tyrant? I don't think so. Once you know her tendencies, you can deal more effectively with her by synching up more frequently, focusing on your boss's likes and dislikes, and generally moving closer to a state of boss/employee mind meld.

Why should you work so hard at such stuff, you may wonder? No reason at all, as long as you prefer the frustration of pushing hard to the 10 yard line, only to be knocked out of bounds at the last moment.

WRONG WAY. GO BACK!  I'm not excusing less-than-sensational managers. I'm only observing that they abound, and that learning to live with them is a major career advantage and personal learning opportunity. The more flexible you become dealing with quick-change bosses, the better you'll be able to handle other crises in your career.

A final note. If you're able to be highly introspective, you may learn that part of your difficulty in staying aligned with your boss comes from your own fierce desire to do your own thing. That's understandable. You're smart and capable, so why should you have to get permission for every little move you make?

You'll be kidding yourself, however, if you believe that the way to increased latitude is to charge off down every path, hoping to avoid the boss's intervention. It's just the reverse, in fact.

WASTED EFFORT.  The more comfortable your manager is with your decisions, the more freedom you'll get over time. I know senior individuals who, on certain critical matters, check in with their chiefs two or three times a day. That's not a lack of independence -- it's an understanding that the more they know about the boss's thinking on high-impact issues, the less double-checking will be needed down the road.

That means more time available for hatching my grand scheme for world domination, or just a new color scheme for the company Web site. Either way, time spent on keeping your boss in whatever loops she likes to be in is never wasted.

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