Job: Fashion Designer (Australia)

I soon noticed that I wasn't as effective as other employees in obtaining resources to improve my job area and it wasn't because I was any less polite, reasonable or likable.

Turns out in my particular case, formal meetings and formal requests made him nervous and defensive. I found that if I simply asked for things in passing with a general explanation, he was a lot more accommodating.

Moral of the story is, work with your boss the way they like to work, modify your style to suit theirs, don't expect the opposite!

Managers are humans, subject to their emotions, and the quicker you work out their managerial style, the easier it will be for you.