In the more than 10 years I have been writing this column, people have regularly sent me requests for topics they would like me to cover. The No. 1 most requested topic is how to manage a boss.

I cannot even count the number of times I have heard employees say that they have a bad boss. It is a common complaint, and employees really only have two options: either they learn how to deal with a bad boss or they leave, which is not a palatable option for most staff.

If you are one of the many employees who has a bad boss, you must figure out a way to work with them. Unfortunately, you just cannot expect your boss to change. Dwelling on your boss’s shortcomings is not productive and it will only make you feel bad.

I think it is so important for employees to remember that no boss is perfect. All bosses -- even the good ones -- make mistakes and some do not have the best skills to make each employee feel special and valued. Even so, you must still make an effort to do the best job you can.

It is so important that you understand what motivates your boss, his or her goals, and how he or she is being evaluated. If you clearly understand what your boss values, you can easily figure out what you can do to help them achieve their goals. Your boss will appreciate your efforts and value you as an employee that much more.

If however, you just cannot figure out what your boss needs to be successful, you need to ask. Nothing will flatter your boss more than asking them what you can do to help the firm or department be more successful. However, if they do not give you an adequate answer, which might happen, ask your colleagues if they can help you in this process.

We know marketing is a vital element of a business. For employees, it plays an equally important role in their relationship with their bosses. Employees need to market themselves to their bosses by communicating with them on a regular basis -- weekly is the best frequency.

Keeping an open line of communication with your boss is important to managing your workload. Often bosses just do not really know what all is on their employees’ plates. The more you can communicate with them about your work load, the less likely they are to overload you.

If you do become overloaded, letting your boss know is the first step to finding a solution. From my personal experience as a boss, I can tell you I frequently forgot all of the things my staff was doing. I really appreciated them telling me when they were getting overloaded so that we could work together to solve the problem.

So many employees underestimate the importance of communicating with their boss, and consequently, their bosses do not see them as important or assume that things are going well. Regular communication is so important in developing a strong relationship with your boss, and it falls to the employee to ensure it happens.

If you have an issue with your boss, go talk to them, but make sure you take a positive and productive approach. Whether it is true or not, telling your boss how wrong he or she is will not often yield positive outcomes. It is important to focus on the specific issue without making it a personal attack. For example, if you are concerned about a specific policy, tell them how the policy makes you feel and offer suggestions for how it might be improved. Most bosses want to do the best job they can. As a result, most appreciate and value constructive input from their employees.

Managing your relationship with your boss requires so much thought and wisdom. Rushing out and behaving rashly can be so hazardous to your job prospects. On numerous occasions, I have seen employees finally reach their breaking point and tear into their boss’s office ranting about some problem they are having with a colleague or their job. This kind of behavior is almost never successful as you put your boss on the defensive which is never a good policy.

While managing you boss is not easy, it is something that every employee has to do. The more you can align yourself with your boss’s goals, the better your relationship will be. A critical piece of this is marketing yourself to your boss on a regular basis.

Jerome S. Osteryoung, director of outreach services at the Jim Moran Institute in the College of Business at Florida State University, can be reached at (850) 294-7478.