Are you a good boss? I bet you’ve asked yourself that more times than you can count. We all have self-doubt, and bosses are not excluded from feelings of uncertainty as well as the desire to want to be liked. Sometimes you can ask but trusted advisors if you’re a good boss, but they’re not working under you so the response may not be accurate. You could ask your employees, but will they truly give you a straight answer? The best way to find out if you are a good boss is to take an inventory of your actions. Here are 7 things that will help you gauge if you’re a good boss or if you have some work to do.
Take time to give your employees encouragement that they are on the right track, especially if they are frustrated. If you saw potential in your employees when you hired them, then don’t give up on them when they mess up. They need to hear that they are competent even in the midst of a mistake. Reassure them that they can solve the problem and that you will help them if they come to a dead end.
It is inevitable that your employees will do something wrong, say something wrong, or treat someone wrong. Tell them – immediately. Feedback doesn’t have to be long and drawn out. It doesn’t even need to be written down all of the time. Take five minutes to let them know that they were out of line, but do it with respect and kindness. Just because you have to give them a correction doesn’t mean you need to bite their heads off.
The same is true if you see them do something great. A good boss will let them know right then and there how awesome they are. Nothing sparks positive momentum like an “atta-boy”.
Have you ever had that teacher, parent, or manager that watches everything you do and corrects you on it? It’s like they expect you to fail so they keep tabs on you waiting for you to confirm their suspicions. Don’t be that guy!! When you assign a project to an employee, think about the objective. What is the end goal? Then let your employee run with it. Don’t tell them how to solve the problem – you may as well do it yourself. Instead, allow them room to figure it out. You may learn a better way to do things yourself.
Meetings can be effective, but most employees see them as a waste of time. Don’t drone on and one to fill an hour when you only have 20 minutes of meat for the team. Prepare and agenda and don’t get off task. Use time brainstorming and reporting on progress. And fo heaven’s sake, if you have a weekly meeting scheduled, but don’t have anything of substance to share this week, cancel the meeting!
Do you allow your employees to contribute during meetings or are you the only one speaking… all the time? Make room for employees to contribute ideas in meetings and one-on-one sessions. Their unique perspectives might just help efficiency, morale, and bottom lines improve.
Can you write down each employee’s name? How about two facts about their personal life? And how about three strengths they bring to the workforce? If you can’t answer these questions, you don’t know your employees. If you don’t know your employees, you’re missing out of extracting their full potential for the benefit of your company and team Get to know them – personally and professionally.
Part of being a good boss is leadership, which is knowing who your employees can and want to follow. When you get ready to hire someone new, have them sit down with employees at all levels. Let your current employees evaluate the candidate over lunch or coffee. Then get feedback from your employees. They will let you know if they potential new hire fits the culture you are trying to build.
The same is true for promotions. Have employees nominate someone for a promotion and ask them to give you reasons why a candidate should or shouldn’t be the next manager. You may find out some things that will help you make the right decision, or more importantly, keeping you from making a disastrous mistake.
Even if you do make a mistake, admit it to your employees. Let them know that you are human – they’ll have more grace for you. Leading is hard and is not for everyone, but those that work at it can see great benefits in areas of culture, employee motivation, and profit.
For more tips on becoming a better boss or if you need help with human resource management, visit our website at Pay-tech.com.