Write a LinkedIn Recommendation for Your Boss - The Muse

Write a LinkedIn Recommendation for Your Boss - The MuseWrite a LinkedIn Recommendation for Your Boss Experts agree To be an effective networker, dont think about what other people can do for you. Instead, focus on how you can provide value to them. Youll build stronger relationships, which will make your connections genuinely eager to do you favors- which means, in the end, youll come out ahead.Heres the problem. If youre young, relatively inexperienced, in a new industry, or without many connections, you dont have a ton of obvious opportunities to help others out.Luckily, I recently hit on an awesome way to give people a boost thats perfect for any professional without much networking currency (or any professional, really.)Ive been writing LinkedIn recommendations- leid for the people who work for me, but for the people above me.The WhyUsually our superiors write us recommendations, not the other way around. But recommendations on LinkedIn are different than the ones you might send in with a job application. On LinkedIn, its completely acceptable to have someone lower in the ranks recommending a higher-up. Its actually very helpful for the person being recommended, because it creates a holistic view of his or her work ethic, leadership style, skills, and so forth.Writing a recommendation for your boss also gives you a chance to thank him or her. We dont usually get the opportunity to give spontaneous thank-yous to our higher-ups, and this is the perfect non-awkward way to show your appreciation.Lastly, it increases your visibility. Suppose someone in your industry is browsing your managers page. He reads your (well-written) recommendation and ends up clicking on your profile. Now youre on his radar, too.The WhoWhomever you directly report to is an obvious choice. However, you can also recommend your bosss boss, the head of your department, the head of a different department- even the CEO. As long as youve worked closely enough with this person to give an accu rate and detailed portrayal of his or her strengths, qualifications, and standards, youre qualified to give a recommendation. Suppose youre wondering whether you should recommend Adam, whos several rungs above you on the company ladder. If your interactions are limited to a couple emails, conversation at office parties, and mutual attendance of some meetings, youre probably not close enough. However, if youre worked under him for a project, received training from him, or helped him put together a report, hed be a great choice.The HowI want all my recommendations to be honest, thoughtful, and detailed, so before I ever sit down to draft one, Ill take a weeks worth of notes. Basically, instead of just thinking, Oh, that was nice, when my boss (or whomever Im recommending) does something that makes me grateful, Ill write it down. After seven days is up, Ill review my notes. (If its someone I work with less frequently, Ill extend this process to two weeks or even a month.) Heres a sampl e listMonday Offered to teach me how to use new software.Tuesday Thanked me for my hard work answered all my emails quickly.Wednesday Helped me set up a meeting so I could learn more about other departments.Thursday Was understanding when I was late to our check-in and even stayed later so she could finish explaining something.Friday Asked me if I still wanted to learn how to use new software.By doing this, some trends usually leap out. Based on this list, Id characterize my boss as supportive, invested in my success, and good at communicating. Plus, now I have both specific traits to highlight and examples to back up my claims. For example, I could writeDylan is clearly interested in helping me grow as an employee. When our company started using a new leads-tracking software, she asked me if Id like her to show me how to use it (on her own time) because she knew I wanted to learn more about the sales side of the company. She also offered to arrange a meeting with some of the key me mbers of the sales and absatzwirtschaft teams so I could get more insight into their structure and goals. Whenever I have questions or concerns, Dylan responds right away- and even follows up later in the week or month to make sure my issues have been resolved. Her patience and willingness to help have made me motivated to do the best job I can.This is also a great opportunity to subtly reinforce someones best traits. If you praise your managers excellent listening qualities, chances are, hes going to be super attentive next time you come in with a project idea. If you thank the CEO of the company for her commitment to transparency, those all-staff meetings arent going away any time soon. Just make sure youre being honest- you dont want to write anything that will make the person think, What? I dont do that.(For more tips, check out our five-minute guide to writing amazing recommendations- weve even included some sample lines.)The RestAfter Ive crafted a really solid paragraph or tw o, Im usually eager to put it up on LinkedIn. However, I always check with the recommendee first. Some people are pretty picky about what goes on their page, and you dont want your nice gesture to become a faux pas. Heres how I ask for the green lightDear Dylan,I really enjoy working with you, and I want to show my appreciation with a LinkedIn recommendation. My first draft is below. Is there anything I should take out or add? Im happy to make any changes youd like.Also, please dont feel obligated to accept this recommendation- Id understand if you were trying to limit what goes on your profile In any case, thank you for being such a great supervisor.Best,AjaIt may seem funny to request permission to give a recommendation, but doing so gives people the option of tailoring your recommendation to fit their personal brand- and an easy out if they dont want your recommendation at all. (Its never happened to me, but people always say they appreciate being asked.)Once youve gotten the go- ahead or some edits, youre ready to uploadIve used this technique to do something useful for people with much more power, responsibility, and visibility than me. Will you try it? Let me know on TwitterPhoto of OK sign courtesy of Shutterstock.