Being the Boss: Don’t Just Be A Good Boss, Be A Great Boss

If you’ve been in the workforce for some time, there is an excellent chance you’ve had your fair share of good bosses and bad bosses.  In all your experience have you ever really had a great boss?  Thinking back, what were some of the key moments in your career that were facilitated by having an effective boss?  Have you ever felt held back by a boss?

Now that you have climbed the rungs and are responsible for managing your own team of employees, you should take some time to think about what you can do to be an effective leader.  Call upon your past experiences to remember what it is like to be on the other side of the fence.   It is a rare person who instinctively and naturally manages others with success.  For the rest of us, here are some tips and reminders to help further our professional development and the careers of our employees.  

The effort of workers is what makes management successful.  Recognize your employees’ hard work and allow them to feel accomplishment rather than taking credit for all successes.  It is your job to lead your team, keep them on track and ensure positive results.  Remember, it really is a team effort.

In order to function as a team, you must delegate work and trust your employees to accomplish their tasks.  Micromanaging is a hot button for most people and it can drastically slow down work flow.  Perhaps your team members have processes that differ from yours.  As long as their results are timely and accurate, allow them to exercise their own style.  This leads to recognizing your employees’ strengths and not being threatened by them.  Look at each team member individually and identify their key strengths then capitalize upon them.  Great bosses know how to rely upon their workers.

A good boss addresses concerns with employees privately, but a great boss addresses concerns with employees privately, directly and in under one minute.  Really, it only takes about a minute to point out a task that missed the mark or make a policy reminder.  Anything longer and you risk having an unnecessary discussion that could lead in the wrong direction.

Lastly, if an employee needs to speak with you, listen to their concerns and acknowledge their thoughts or feelings.  Most of the time the issues can be worked out in one conversation and your employees will feel better knowing they can rely on you to listen.  This is also important because your employees can provide insights that you may not be aware of and really should address.

Do your best to be a great boss every day, and remember - when you need help finding talented team members, look to J&J Staffing Resources for all your staffing needs!