Ask any manager or executive and he is bound to say that he is the best boss his employees could ever have asked for. But, ask the subordinates, and the odds are that the story will be entirely different.
What’s more, people normally don’t leave their jobs: they leave their bosses! As authors, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman state in their book, First, Break All the Rules, “The talented employee may join a company because of its ch arismatic leaders, its generous benefits and its world-class training programs, but how long that employee stays and how productive he is while he is there is determined by his relationship with his immediate supervisor.”
To be fair to them, bosses are quite an embattled lot – torn as they are between doing things right and playing nice with employees. So, where are they actually going wrong?
How should they tackle the high-pressured job littered with incessant employee demands and conflicts?
Here’s a take on how to become a better boss:
• First and foremost, you should never be autocratic or impose your positional authority. Assert, ‘I am the boss’ and people will never listen to you.
• Instead, adopt an open-ended approach by talking to your employees about their goals, aspirations, motivations, and problems, what they like/dislike about the work and what they want to change. Solicit their suggestions, criticism and concerns and really listen to what they have to say. Such informal talks and one-on-one meetings will show that you are genuinely interested in your staff and ready to help them.
• Building good, healthy relationships will motivate employees and they are more likely to stick with the company even when the going is not as good.
• Communicating your vision, aims and strategies will make employees feel like a part of the team. Also, give them specific and reachable goals so as to motivate them to perform efficiently.
• Keep employees informed of new developments and changes so that they are aware of what is going on in the company. Also, involving them in decisions, especially those that concern them will win loyalty and cooperation.
• According to author, Bob Nelson writing in Economy in Managing for Dummies, “Part of being a good manager and coach is being available to your employees when they need your help”.
• Be friendly and accessible to everyone. But know where to draw the line, as ‘backslapping’ terms are not exactly commendable.
• Adopt an individualised approach where you understand employees’ needs and give them what they require to perform well – some may need constant direction while others crave freedom.
• Delegating important tasks and giving employees responsibility will demonstrate your trust in their strengths and abilities.
• Respond to complaints and address concerns right away. Ignoring or postponing them will only make the problems fester.
• It is imperative that you should lead by example. Check your own work habits like punctuality, decisiveness, procrastination and being able to meet deadlines before expecting it from the subordinates.
• Teach employees to work smart with the accent not on putting in long hours, but on improved performance.
• Mistakes will always happen. It is how you deal with employee errors – in a firm, kind and positive manner - that matters.
• Never hesitate to provide encouragement, support and well-timed recognition of efforts. Publicly acknowledging employee achievements is the best reward that can spur them to higher levels of performance. Proactively affirm the praise with specific and positive comments whenever possible.
• Being a boss also means taking some tough decisions. You cannot shy away from confrontations and giving criticism. Arrange private conversations to share your concerns, reprimand poor performance and provide guidance. At times, you will also have to take suitable action to correct destructive, passive or negative behaviours. If necessary, do not hesitate to fire under-performers who drag down the team and refuse to change.
• Always strive to improve your supervisory and leadership skills by undertaking training workshops and courses.
All said and done, your success as a boss depends on the attitude and performance of your subordinates. So, be game to face the numerous challenges head on as only then can you build an alert, efficient, responsible and high-performing workforce!
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