They give you tough love
Suzanne Bates, CEO of Bates Communications and author of "All the Leader You Can Be," tells Business Insider that it can be difficult to figure out whether or not your boss likes you.
"A boss who sees you as promising may give you a lot of feedback, not all of it positive — some of it might be 'tough love' because he or she sees you as someone who can handle it and is ready for more responsibility," she said.
They ask for your input
Bruce Tulgan, the founder of RainmakerThinking and author of "It's Okay to Manage Your Boss," said that bosses confer more with the employees whom they like and trust.
"If the boss often asks your input in one-on-ones and team meetings and leaves plenty of time for you to talk and then responds favorably to what you say — these are good signs," he told Business Insider.
They're not always forthcoming with the compliments
You might think that managers shower the employees whom they value with praise, but Bates noted that this isn't always the case.
"They either think you already know you're in good standing, they don't want to seem to be favoring you, or they simply just forget because you do so many things well," she said.
Bates recommended that you ask for feedback and make it clear that you want your manager to tell it like it is.
Tulgan agreed, saying that workers shouldn't always expect unprompted feedback.
"You should always make sure you are getting expectations spelled out in vivid detail and you should be tracking your performance every step of the way," he said. "Keep score for yourself! Then you won't have to guess."
They give you more responsibility
Managers often deputize their most talented employees. You probably won't get a gold-star badge, but you will get put in charge of important projects and even your fellow coworkers.
They defer to you
When other employees are struggling, your manager sends them to you.
"If your boss tells others to go to you for guidance or instruction or examples of good work, this is a good sign," Tulgan said.
They check in with you
Tulgan noted that bosses will go out of their way to check on the workers they like. They'll ask about your happiness, whether or not you're planning to leave, and how the company can keep you on.
Your boss isn't interrogating you — they're proactively figuring out what steps they'll need to take to retain you.
They ask you to teach others
If your manager is constantly asking you to show the office newbie the ropes or explain how things work to your colleagues, it may feel like they're just pawning off extra tasks on you — to tell the truth, that might be the case in some instances.
But your boss also might also so impressed with your skills that they want to spread them around to others. Instead of looking at these requests as extra busy work, use them as opportunities to hone your own leadership abilities and showcase your expertise in the office.
