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Eight little secrets of being a good boss By Management Issues News
(To read this full article, go to Management Issues News)
So you have just landed your first management job. Congratulations. But before you get too excited, remember that newly-minted managers are much closer to being reviled than revered.
"BOSS has become a 'four-letter word' in the workplace," says Jim Concelman, from HR consultants Development Dimensions International (DDI).
"Many new leaders are inheriting the bad feelings created by their predecessors and other less-than-competent bosses in the organisation," he added.
"These pioneers have a chance to repair these attitudes and change the preconceived idea that all bosses are bad - but it needs to be done quickly while the person is new to his or her leadership role."
So what do managers need to know as they embark upon his or her new job? A survey by website Badbossology.com and DDI, asked workers to speak out about their bosses and what they could be doing better.
Here are eight little secrets that every new leader needs to know.
You're not really their friend anymore
In fact, most workers said their greatest hesitation about becoming the boss would be supervising their friends and the resulting change in the water cooler culture...
It's not your jokes they're laughing at
Your team actually compares you to prime-time boss caricatures such as "You're Fired" real estate mogul Donald Trump, domestic diva Martha Stewart or "Lost's" reluctant leader Jack Shepherd, according to the most recent Badbossology survey...
Your suspicions are right - employees are wasting time
But it's because they're complaining about you! Nearly one third of all employees spend at least 20 hours a month lamenting about the boss, which adds up to a lot of negative energy...
Employees will accept change - if they're consulted first
The majority of workers responded that the most important thing a new boss can do is ask them what they think should be different. If change creates stress, a new boss can foster a fear of the unknown in employees...
It's not about you looking good now
In fact, 60 percent of employees said the most respectable quality in a boss was their ability to help them succeed...
Your team doesn't share your goals
A great disconnect between a boss and his/her team is in their priorities...
Not feeling up to the task? You're not alone
More than one in five workers surveyed said their greatest hesitation about becoming the boss was being perceived as incompetent, and nearly 25 percent said they would feel unprepared for the responsibility...
Don't worry about having employees who don't like you - they'll just leave
There is no honeymoon period for new bosses - workers won't stick around once they realize they have a bad boss, with nearly half finding the door within six months...
To read this full article, go to Management Issues News
How to Be a Better Boss: Business Leadership Tips by A. J. Schuler, Psy. D.
(To read this full article, go to SchulerSolutions.com)
Surveys tell us that most people leave their jobs because they don't like their boss.
Sure, some leave for more money, or for more opportunity, but very often the deciding factor is that relationship with the boss. When that relationship is bad, everything else is bad. When that relationship is good, even other less-than-satisfactory conditions are both more tolerable and more likely to be worked out.
And for those of you who want to build really strong organizations, the best performers are even more motivated by that relationship – and they are the most likely to jump when things are not right, since they will have more options open to them. So, here's a series of "do's" and "don'ts", to help you become a better boss:
To be a Better Boss, DO:
GO ON AN OCCASIONAL "LISTENING TOUR"
...This is something any boss can do informally any time, or periodically, no matter how long he or she has been in the position. Don't make a big deal of it; just do it, or ask for time on people's schedules just to catch up or take the pulse of the organization.
ASK WHAT PEOPLE WANT FOR THE LONG TERM
Asking does not obligate you to give everyone what they want, but it's better to know than not to know. If you know what a person's career or personal ambitions are, you can find creative ways to help them get where they want to go while also helping them serve the needs of the organization...
FIND OUT HOW PEOPLE LEARN BEST
Some people need hands on supervision; some people like to learn by watching first and then doing. Some people like to jump right in, make mistakes and then come to you when they have a question...
DECIDE FOR YOURSELF WHAT PEOPLE'S BEST TALENTS ARE
Everyone has their "aces and spaces:" areas of greater talent and areas where they are not so strong. But not all of us know ourselves well enough to know where those spaces are, and sometimes we misguide ourselves. Sometimes, people have to learn through experience...
BE FRIENDLY WHENEVER YOU CAN
This is not the same as being everyone's "friend" – more on that later. But being "friendly" goes a long way...
TEACH – AND CORRECT PEOPLE – RIGHT AWAY, IN PRIVATE
Take an individualized approach, and when you see something that should be corrected in performance, don't agonize for weeks or wait until the next formal evaluation period to deal with it...
To be a Better Boss, DON'T:
DON'T TRY TO BE EVERYONE'S FRIEND
If you were promoted from within, your relationships with the group and its individual members will change and the transition may not always be comfortable for you or the others. That's part of life. Sometimes new managers, or internally promoted managers, try too hard to be everyone's "friend,"...
DON'T DISPLAY POWER UNNECESARILY
On the other hand, some people are way too quick to accept that they can't be everyone's friend, and then seem to act so as to prove it every day! In my experience, these are usually people who are equally uncomfortable with being in authority, even if they seem to thrive on being the "boss" and proving it at every turn. Real power is worn lightly...
DON'T ASSUME EVERYONE IS MOTIVATED BY THE SAME THINGS
Some people want to learn new things. Some people don't much worry about anything as long as they are paid well enough. Some people want regular attention. Some people want room to do their own thing...
DON'T MAKE PUBLIC CORRECTIONS WHEN PRIVATE ONES WILL DO
Lots of managers prefer to avoid "singling anyone out," thinking that this is a better approach to making corrections. Wrong! All you do by going public is to start everyone speculating about your targeted person. You also build resentment among those other team members who are being corrected when they themselves are not responsible for the problem...
DON'T MANAGE BY EMAIL
Email is good for conveying basic information, clarifying simple inquiries, scheduling things, etc. But email is a blunt communication instrument, and not very good when it comes to anything that can involve or incite emotion. Stay away from it for matters of coaching or any conflict...
DON'T GET LAZY WITH RELATIONSHIPS
An organization is a living thing, and it requires a certain amount of maintenance, even hygienic attention. It can be easy as a boss to get so task focused and busy that you lose touch with what's going on with your people...
DON'T SPEND THE MAJORITY OF YOUR TIME ON "PROBLEM" PEOPLE
Attention can itself be a reinforcer. Anyone who has children knows this. Sometimes just paying attention to an undesirable behavior helps to sustain and promote it. This happens in the office, too. Don't get caught in that trap...
To read this full article, go to SchulerSolutions.com
© A. J. Schuler, Psy. D.
Also check out... [What is a GOOD Boss?]
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