7 signs your boss is impressed with you, even if it doesn't seem like it

woman talking unhappy annoyed work

• Impressing your boss is a crucial part of succeeding at your job.

• Asking for feedback is important, but reading your manager is also a great skill to have.

• Tough love and frequent check ins are some signs that your boss is impressed with you.

Does your boss think you're competent?

It's an important question. Getting along with your boss is a pretty crucial part of succeeding at work. Your manager likely controls whether or not you get promoted, demoted, or fired, after all. Your job is in their hands.

Some bosses make it clear if they adore you — non-romantically, of course. They heap on the praise, give positive and detailed feedback, and make you feel like you're an integral part of the success of the organization.

But not all managers are so open.

It's always good to ask for honest feedback. Before you make inquiries, though, here are a few signs that your boss probably is pretty impressed with your work:

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."

See the rest of the story at Business Insider