Good Boss or Bad Boss

One of the best incentives to keep a valuable staff is being a good boss, not just the money or perks. Bosses either build people or tear them down.?Studies show that having a bad boss raises a worker's chance of having a heart attack by as much as 60 percent and that employees prefer happiness over higher pay. Working for a good boss is a huge success drive for most employees as this aids productivity and employees are inspired to put in their very best on the job. This includes reminding the team about the vision and regularly, measuring results against established milestones and targets, correcting and rewarding extra where necessary.

The following qualities define a good boss:

Every boss should have a strong sense of who he/she is and be confident in his capability to lead a team and also lead each individual. Effective communication plays a huge role in this, you must be able to communicate in clear terms the vision, and mission of the organization and how you intend to lead your subordinates on this journey.

Every boss must learn to motivate their employees and this goes beyond fair pay. A well-motivated employee will not grumble about putting in extra time to achieve the goals of the organization. Showing trust and confidence in your employee is a form of motivation, empathy, mentoring, recognition, reward, team building activities, ensuring their learning and development, understanding their differences, etc. are among the several ways to motivate your employees.

Transparency is an important quality in being a good boss. How transparent are you? Are you open and honest? Are you accountable? Are you able to apologize when you are wrong? Do you stick to the ethics of the business? Do you have a moral compass guiding you? If all of these answers are negative for you, then…

Respecting your employees is also a way to get the best out of them. Typical ways of disrespecting employees include yelling, shouting, sulking, losing your temper, bullying, blaming others, and not sharing credit. Other forms of disrespect include: indecision, avoiding conflict, unavailability, playing favorites, hiding relevant information, poor communication, gossiping, insincerity, over-delegation, too many meetings, selective and distracted listening, boss is never wrong attitude, and forgetting promises that you had made to staff. A workplace with disrespect is toxic, unproductive, and fearful. Good bosses earn respect from their employees by doing the right things such as holding employees accountable for their job, appreciating and praising subordinates, caring for staff, listening attentively, being available, and having empathy, delegation, and trust. Empowerment, good working conditions, being decisive, admitting mistakes, sharing credit, common courtesies, pitching in during critical times to help staff, and fighting for your employees’ privileges are all hallmarks of good bosses.

Every good boss is a good listener. Listening to your subordinates makes them feel like a part of the organization. Employees will respect a leader who provides feedback in a clear but empathetic way.

Invest in being a good leader and you can rest assured of having a thriving organization that attains and surpasses its goals from time to time.