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| Home>> 8
Steps to be a good Boss |
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8 Steps to Being a
Good Boss
by Mary Mitchell
Whether you've just been assigned your first assistant or have
managed a team for years, your ability to do your job well can
be enhanced by your relationship with subordinates.
And while every person and every dynamic is different, basic strategies
will help you make the most of this relationship.
Follow this outline to lay out your team's goals, keep on top
of them and improve their performance.
Remember, when they look good, you look good.
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- Define the employee's role.
Make sure your expectations of a worker's role in a team project
or with individual responsibilities are clear and understood.
Misinterpretations will result in wasted energy and time on
both your parts. Begin your definition with the job description.
If your employee doesn't clearly understand his or her basic
responsibilities and job title, as well as how his or her
role interacts within the team dynamics, you lose. The employee
won't be effective, and this shortcoming could affect the
entire team and its goals.
- Sketch out a more nuanced list of
your expectations.
That's the only way her performance can measure up -- if she
has set goals to achieve. Expectations should include time
frames for tasks and projects, deadlines and quality guidelines,
and future areas of growth for her skills. Be certain that
the standards you impose are realistic for her abilities and
that you put them in writing.
Communicate these expectations to the employee.
- Putting things in writing is the easy
part. When it comes to one-on-one conversation, communication
can break down. Most of us think that when we've said something,
we have been understood. That's not always the case.
My soundest advice here is to use "I" language.
There is one word that will undoubtedly create a defensive
reaction from the other person: You. Before I continue, do
you understand? You do? Are you sure? Now, are you asking
yourself, "Who does she think she is? I understand."
I have put you on the defensive. And the moment someone becomes
defensive, communication stops. She stops listening in order
to plan her defense.
If, however, I were to say instead, "I have been doing
this for so long that I might not have been clear. Please
let me know if I've skipped over any questions you might have
had." Make "I" language a habit -- mark your
calendar to begin today. Mark it each day for the next three
to four weeks. At the end of this time, "I" language
will naturally be part of your communication style.
- Praise in public, criticize in private.
Criticism, by its very nature, is demeaning. It always should
be done in private. Good news should be shared in public.
- Show respect for subordinate's ideas
and contributions.
When was the last time you thanked a subordinate for a contribution?
When was the last time you wrote him a personal note of appreciation?
Those investments have an enormous rate of return.
- Show by doing.
We teach best through our best example. Whatever standards
you hold for anyone else -- whether it's hours worked or number
of times a report is checked and rechecked -- must be at least
equally high for yourself.
- Check in with employees
When giving instructions, ask the person to restate what she
has heard. Remember, when you ask, "Do you understand?"
9 times out of 10 people will nod their heads and say, "Yes,"
even if they have no idea what you want.
- Help subordinates prioritize.
When something is vital, let the employee know. Early in my
career, one manager said to me, "I just want to emphasize
the importance of performing this task every day before 5pm.
It is just as important as if you were in the Army and held
guard duty. You know what happened to people who fell asleep
or deserted their posts ..." I remember nodding while
he nodded along with me. Then he said, "Right. They were
executed -- dereliction of duty." I got the point. Perform
this task well or I was out of there.
What he didn't say was that my failure to perform would reflect
on him. If too many of his team failed to perform, it spoke
more of his inability to manage than subordinates' inability
to perform.
Thus is the privilege
and the responsibility of managing others.
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