10. Always acknowledge messages or input. Respond to all email or “in-box” documents from your boss. This will let him or her know you [a] got it, [b] read it and [c] implies you might do something with this input.

9. Organize your information. Bosses are notoriously “forgetful.” Organize your info by topic, due date and/or priority and use this info to keep everybody focused and honest. Also, keep everything. You may be glad you did not delete a certain email one day.

8. Proof everything and then proof it again. Before you send anything to the boss, make sure you’ve double-checked it. Otherwise, the boss is sure to find the mistake and then think it’s necessary to micro-manage your work.

7. Add value. Be more than just a messenger. Summarize or annotate any information you pass along. This lets the boss know you’re a thinker. Plus, it makes you that much harder to replace with a lower-level staff person.

6. Be loyal and respectful. Before you discuss an idea with your boss’s peers, or, heaven forbid, your boss’s boss, preview it first with your boss. This is not just good management sense, it’s good career sense.

5. Avoid hot buttons. Everybody has them. Make sure you know what your boss’s hot buttons are and avoid pushing them too often.

4. Stay focused. If your boss’s boss tells you to do something, or “suggests” you do it, be careful about committing yourself or your resources before you consult with your boss. If your boss has a different idea, let your boss duke it out with his or her boss...don’t put yourself in the middle.

3. Laugh. Keep your sense of humor. It makes working together more fun.

2. Be dependable. If you say you are going to do something, do it. It enhances trust, reinforces your credibility and helps ensure you don’t speak without thinking first.

1. Be honest. When there’s bad news, or potentially bad news, face it, deal with it and let the boss know so he or she is not surprised. When asked for your opinion or advice, give it and don’t sugarcoat it for the boss’s pleasure.