How to make your boss love you

You would be approaching your third month in the workplace, yet you haven't made a big impression on your boss. This was supposed to be the first thing that you would do on your first month. You still have reservations about your colleagues, as you were rather careful of your choice of words (during conversation). You would make out of your way for them at times. And you tried too hard to be mindful of your manners.

You weren't the aloof colleague who thought of the job (and nothing else). Your housemates would attest that you warm up to anyone in a short span of time. And you had the ability to bring out the best out of anyone. Alas, the unwritten rules in the office won't include your finer points. Not that you would mind your own tasks, but you craved for recognition. You weren't the attention seeker, you weren't too eager for a promotion. You simply wanted to let your colleagues know that you were an important member of the team. But your boss should know first.

How would you do it? You figured out the following:

You would dress to impress. But your boss looked dapper. You don't want your colleagues to notice your attempt to imitate him. You also toyed with the idea of a rugged look. It reminded you of your holiday last summer. You had a change of mind after it dawned on you that your boss might misinterpret it. This could be a warning.

Soap opera would come to mind. Your mother was a huge fan of "Days of Our Lives", but you don't share her addiction to soap operas. You've been thinking about it for months, though. You wondered if your boss could be your agony uncle. There was a time when you felt the lack of support from your parents. You wanted to pursue authorship, but they thought you might not be fortunate to make a living on pen. (In your case, it will be the MacBook.) Tears were brimming in your eyes, as you told them that you could be as successful as Dan Brown. (And you weren't making it up.) What kept you holding back? More tasks. You couldn't miss football on Thursday nights and beer (with your buddies) every other Friday.

The way to one's heart is through the stomach. Valentine's Day? Not really. You weren't observant, though. Your boss might have a sweet tooth after you saw him munching on M&M on two occasions. You saw him entering a Japanese restaurant, which was several blocks away from the office. Sushi could be one of his favorite dishes. He would prefer a doughnut for an afternoon snack, but this would be the case with your colleagues.

Solve their traveling dilemmas. You've been to twenty countries, and you were hoping that your colleagues would ask you about travel destinations. You imagined your boss unable to resolve his traveling dilemma. A tour of Western Europe's largest cities or trekking near the Alps? Your hopes were dashed when you glimpsed Imperial Hotel in Lego blocks. You haven't set foot in Japan.

Amaze them with your knowledge of the East. You've traveled around South Asia for a few months. You liked the idea of an elephant as a symbol of good luck. You bought several elephant figurines (during your holiday), which surprised your mother. (She had no idea that you were a believer in Buddhism.) Alas, you were having second thoughts. Your colleagues might not pay attention especially when there were too many tasks.

In the end, you decided to be the workaholic type. Your boss would notice it sooner or later.