While the Cat's Away: How to Get Promoted While Your Boss is Away

My boss announced she was going to have a baby. Twin girls, to be exact. How nice for her. And how woefully inconvenient for me. I'm stuck in the office doing two jobs for the price of one. Or so I thought.

"Technically you're not doing two jobs, what you're doing is prioritizing out of each one," says Karen Wright, founder of Parachute Executive Coaching. And really, I'd been given a chance to show what I was made of.

Coming and going

In a sense, your boss's departure is really your arrival. It's a grand opportunity to make an entrance and prove your talents in front of a live captive audience. Depending on the length of the leave, you have as little as two weeks or as much as six months to make your mark. (Most maternity leaves, for example, are about three months long.)

But be careful. Efforts to shine or get noticed in an attempt to get promoted while your boss is on leave can easily turn sour. You might simply be vying for recognition, but others may see your do-good efforts as an attempt to usurp your boss. If that's your intention, better drop it fast.

Spell it out

When a boss goes on leave, some people are under the false impression that their job is still the same. But it's not. Your job description has just changed. You need to clarify a lot of things up front. Find out what your temporary job description and responsibilities are and try to get it in writing, says Cecile Marie, a personal career coach and trainer. "I would say number one is to make sure you have in writing a very clear picture of what is expected of you."

Lynn Berger, a career and personal coach, suggests you ask your boss how much she would like you to take on to make it easier for her. This will communicate that there's teamwork and that you're not taking her turf away, she says.

Keep in mind, however, that some on leave effectively "divorce" themselves from the company over the next few months. Ask her if she would like to be kept abreast of projects and issues, and if so, how often.

The power of "cc"

Marie believes you should "cc" your boss on all correspondence to essentially cover your hide. But Berger, having been on both sides of the situation, doesn't agree. "I would run it by them first," she says. "If they're not checking their emails, they're not going to want to come back to 4,000 emails."

Many bosses who take leave are women on maternity leave. The Federal Family and Medical Leave Act allows three full months of maternity leave for both mother and father of natural, adoptive and foster-care children. And more women than ever before are returning to the workplace after childbirth. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 25-30 percent of women return to work three months after childbirth, 35-40 percent six months later, and 60 percent after 12 months. So, hedge your bets that she will return, if not right away, then within the year.

Of the women on maternity leave who do not return to work, many do not inform their employer until after the three months are up, for various reasons. That means you probably won't know until the last minute whether or not you're practicing for your new job or just being a good team player.

With that said, here's the best way to make the most of your moment in the career spotlight.

1. Demonstrate your smarts

Just because you don't have the authority to make certain decisions, doesn't mean you can't offer up your thoughts and opinions. Think through the issues, come up with a solution and get approval to move forward. It's guaranteed to burnish your star.

2. Attend her meetings

Find out what meetings your boss attends regularly that will need to be kept up in her absence. This is an excellent way to gain exposure to issues and policy discussions that you're not normally included in, as well as the opportunity to witness different managerial styles and interact with senior level employees.

3. Don't hesitate to ask other people for help

Asking for advice doesn't make you look incompetent. Rather it shows that you're a team player and you're interested in someone else's opinion. Just don't keep asking about the same thing, or you'll begin to look dim.

4. If you have nothing nice to say...

Keep in mind that speaking badly about anybody makes you look bad, so say nothing but good things about your boss while she's out of the office.

5. The squeaky wheel gets the oil

If your work load gets too heavy, speak up. You don't want to end up spoiling your moment in the sun by doing a substandard job. If you need help, ask. You may need to reassign certain duties.

6. Understated bravado

"The number one thing that people fail in doing is marketing themselves effectively," says Marie. A lot of the work that people do isn't tangible. And even if it is quantifiable or concrete, your boss would almost have to be in your office looking over your shoulder to really understand what you do every day, says Marie.

Marie says the most efficient method of marketing yourself is via email.

"Keep people informed of your successes. Simply tell people what you're doing or have just done, as you go. You don't just do your job and keep quiet about it," says Marie. "And don't hesitate to 'cc' upwards if it seems appropriate. That's one of the really good uses of emails, not self-praising but keeping people informed of what you're doing."

Long-term benefits

First, it will strengthen the relationship between you and your boss. She'll see how reliable and competent you are, which will come in handy when vying for that raise or promotion. Second, you'll be exposed to more senior level people. Use that to your advantage by establishing lasting relationships with them even when your boss returns. And thirdly, of course, the whole experience is portable. Parlay your success into a new job by highlighting that achievement in an interview.

As for my situation, it was a mostly-happily-ever-story. My boss kept communication to a bare minimum so I was left to figure things out on my own and sought advice from others. At the last minute she decided not to return to work. However, even if her job had been offered to me, I wouldn't have wanted it anyway. But I did want a promotion and a raise. So I asked for it - and got it. Sometimes, nice girls do finish first.