Are you truly an amazing boss or just a good one? See how many of these 10 traits are natural for you.
Recently, I had overwhelming response to my column on 10 things Really Amazing Employees Do.
In it, I also gave tips for being a better boss. Better is great, but
amazing bosses didn't need the tips because they already knew what to
do.
Being a boss is hard. People don't naturally wish to have one. And
not everyone aspires to be one. But most people are anxious to follow a good leader,
and most organizations live and die on the quality of the leaders who
run them. See how you stack up with these 10 traits. I have given a
reference point for good bosses as well so you can assess if you are
truly hitting the mark or if perhaps your people are just being nice when they say you're amazing.
1. Good Bosses maintain control and get things done.
Amazing Bosses know efficiency can be the enemy of efficacy in the long run and so they work to create an atmosphere of expansive thinking.
They empower their team with time, resources and techniques, to solve
big issues with big ideas instead of Band-Aids and checklists.
2. Good Bosses foster a sense of community, making room for everyone.
Amazing Bosses form an internal culture by design
rather than default, making sure they attract the right people to get
on the bus and then get them in the right seats. They also make sure
that the wrong people never get on the bus, or if they do, they get off
quickly.
3. Good Bosses invite creative thinking.
Amazing Bosses know how to integrate creativity into daily
conversation and procedures so that every employee feels natural about
being creative and facilitating productive creativity when interacting
with others in the company.
4. Good Bosses create an open environment for voicing concern and frustration.
Amazing Bosses create an environment where people are
empowered to make change on their own to improve product, process, and
procedures. They integrate open communication to the point where the
expression of honest concerns is expected, required, and desired by everyone involved to achieve the highest levels of team performance.
5. Good Bosses encourage career development for their employees.
Amazing Bosses integrate individual learning and development
into every job description so that personal growth is required and
rewarded. They know companies that do this thrive thanks to new leaders
rising from the inside. They make sure the company apportions time and
dollars toward personal growth so that everyone shares reasonable
expectations of commitment and success.
6. Good Bosses run effective and efficient meetings.
Amazing Bosses make sure that everyone on the team understands the difference between a valuable meeting
and a waste of time and resources. They educate the team on
facilitation techniques and give each person consistent practice at
structuring and leading effective meetings with postmortem feedback.
7. Good Bosses build trust so people feel safe.
Amazing Bosses encourage constant interaction and high
performance within the team so they succeed or fail together, creating
tight bonds of loyalty to the company and each other. Successes are met
with equal high praise and rewards, while failures are met with
encouraging acceptance and postmortem learning discussions
yielding next-step improvements. (Of course amazing bosses know how to
make sure people and teams fail safely in the first place.)
8. Good Bosses generate happiness in the workplace.
Amazing Bosses constantly seek and execute ways to help
employees gain deep personal satisfaction from their responsibilities so
they are inspired and excited to come to work and perform well every
day.
9. Good Bosses make sure people are responsible for their roles and actions.
Amazing Bosses promote personal accountability by providing
clear communication and buy-in as to the culture, vision, and goals for
the company. They know how to effectively and efficiently align the team, communicate in rhythm, and measure progress so they can adjust quickly with minimal risk.
10. Good Bosses know how to praise and show gratitude.
Amazing Bosses know how to instill a deep sense of personal
satisfaction and accomplishment in individual team members. They help
employees develop a strong sense of self-confidence and self-praise that
outweighs any pat-on-the-back or award provided.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-things-really-amazing-bosses-do.html
Showing posts with label Boss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boss. Show all posts
3/19/13
10 Things Really Amazing Employees Do
Here are ten traits that any great employer should recognize and reward instantly.
As a longtime employer of dozens, I was always grateful to have good employees. It takes a lot to recruit and maintain top talent. Every once in a while special employees come along that just really seem to get it. They drive the entire company forward in ways that were unimaginable. Advancement and reward is never an issue for these rock stars because they understand the power of cause and effect, and only a worthy company can retain them and afford them.
Here are 10 things amazing employees seem to do effortlessly. Here's how to help your great employees be even more amazing.
1. Enthusiastically Learn All Aspects of Business
They understand they're part of something bigger and more worthwhile than just their job. They look to learn other areas of the business and be fluent in finance and management so they'll positively impact multiple areas of the company.
What you can do: Invest in material and seminars on business basics like accounting, marketing, and management so all employees have easy access to learn and grow.
2. Steward the Company
They treat the company as if it were theirs. They look to make prudent decisions about expenses and opportunities with the long-term future of the company in mind. They easily assess risk vs. reward, selflessly when making decisions.
What you can do: Be transparent in your business. The more you share your financials and philosophy, the easier it is for employees to make the right decisions.
3. Generate Viable Opportunities
You don't have to be in sales or marketing to help a company grow. Strong networkers from all divisions see company growth as a collective effort and constantly keep their eyes open for ways to more than pay for themselves.
What you can do: Make sure all your employees understand your value proposition and can easily identify opportunities. Then reward them openly for their efforts.
4. Resolve Issues Before They Are Issues
My favorite days running companies are when I notice positive change in procedure when I was totally unaware of the need for change. Amazing employees are always looking to improve systems proactively, and they do.
What you can do: Communicate a clear written vision of where the company is going and encourage initiative so people feel safe and empowered to make change.
5. Tell It Like It Is
Amazing employees understand that hiding bad news helps no one. They find kind ways to bring uncomfortable information to the surface, but they DO bring it to the surface. They tell people what's necessary before major damage is done.
What you can do: Foster an open communication environment where people are not only given permission to tell the truth, but also absolutely required.
6. Demonstrate High Standards, With Low Maintenance
I always feel relaxed when I can trust an employee to perform a task to the same high standards I would expect from myself. Not all can do this without constant attention or difficulty. Amazing employees quietly drive their own high standards.
What you can do: Set the example and the tone for high performance with minimal drama. Publicly reward those who can execute in the same manner.
7. Grow Themselves, and Others
They not only drive their own career but they inspire others to do the same. These employees lead by example in how to advance without creating animosity or resentment. They see and create their perfect future, and also bring others along.
What you can do: Encourage personal development and peer growth through dedicated group time and learning for career advancement.
8. Research, Apply, and Refine
No employer expects people to know everything. In this fast changing world, I choose employees who will learn over those who know. The best employee proactively explores options, takes action and then improves without direction from the top.
What you can do: Invest time in exploration and expansive thinking. Encourage people to explore deep visionary projects with time and reward for the findings.
9. Stimulate Happiness
Amazing employees aren't always sunshine and roses. They do know how to keep it real. But they understand the dynamics of people, stress, and the blend of work, life and friendship. They are self-aware and able to direct their own path that brings out their best with family, friends and career. They exude positive energy even in stressful times and share it around, making for a happier office.
What you can do: Create an environment where people can openly express themselves. Encourage them to work hard in fulfilling ways and achieve their dreams.
10. Facilitate Amazing Bosses
Amazing employees make me grow as an employer. They self-confidently get their value and help me get mine. They make me want to be worthy of working with somebody of such high caliber, without ever saying it directly of course.
What you can do: Make effort to genuinely show appreciation for any of the behaviors above so people feel their value and will grow to full potential. Then they will do the same for you.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-things-really-amazing-employees-do.html?nav=pop
As a longtime employer of dozens, I was always grateful to have good employees. It takes a lot to recruit and maintain top talent. Every once in a while special employees come along that just really seem to get it. They drive the entire company forward in ways that were unimaginable. Advancement and reward is never an issue for these rock stars because they understand the power of cause and effect, and only a worthy company can retain them and afford them.
Here are 10 things amazing employees seem to do effortlessly. Here's how to help your great employees be even more amazing.
1. Enthusiastically Learn All Aspects of Business
They understand they're part of something bigger and more worthwhile than just their job. They look to learn other areas of the business and be fluent in finance and management so they'll positively impact multiple areas of the company.
What you can do: Invest in material and seminars on business basics like accounting, marketing, and management so all employees have easy access to learn and grow.
2. Steward the Company
They treat the company as if it were theirs. They look to make prudent decisions about expenses and opportunities with the long-term future of the company in mind. They easily assess risk vs. reward, selflessly when making decisions.
What you can do: Be transparent in your business. The more you share your financials and philosophy, the easier it is for employees to make the right decisions.
3. Generate Viable Opportunities
You don't have to be in sales or marketing to help a company grow. Strong networkers from all divisions see company growth as a collective effort and constantly keep their eyes open for ways to more than pay for themselves.
What you can do: Make sure all your employees understand your value proposition and can easily identify opportunities. Then reward them openly for their efforts.
4. Resolve Issues Before They Are Issues
My favorite days running companies are when I notice positive change in procedure when I was totally unaware of the need for change. Amazing employees are always looking to improve systems proactively, and they do.
What you can do: Communicate a clear written vision of where the company is going and encourage initiative so people feel safe and empowered to make change.
5. Tell It Like It Is
Amazing employees understand that hiding bad news helps no one. They find kind ways to bring uncomfortable information to the surface, but they DO bring it to the surface. They tell people what's necessary before major damage is done.
What you can do: Foster an open communication environment where people are not only given permission to tell the truth, but also absolutely required.
6. Demonstrate High Standards, With Low Maintenance
I always feel relaxed when I can trust an employee to perform a task to the same high standards I would expect from myself. Not all can do this without constant attention or difficulty. Amazing employees quietly drive their own high standards.
What you can do: Set the example and the tone for high performance with minimal drama. Publicly reward those who can execute in the same manner.
7. Grow Themselves, and Others
They not only drive their own career but they inspire others to do the same. These employees lead by example in how to advance without creating animosity or resentment. They see and create their perfect future, and also bring others along.
What you can do: Encourage personal development and peer growth through dedicated group time and learning for career advancement.
8. Research, Apply, and Refine
No employer expects people to know everything. In this fast changing world, I choose employees who will learn over those who know. The best employee proactively explores options, takes action and then improves without direction from the top.
What you can do: Invest time in exploration and expansive thinking. Encourage people to explore deep visionary projects with time and reward for the findings.
9. Stimulate Happiness
Amazing employees aren't always sunshine and roses. They do know how to keep it real. But they understand the dynamics of people, stress, and the blend of work, life and friendship. They are self-aware and able to direct their own path that brings out their best with family, friends and career. They exude positive energy even in stressful times and share it around, making for a happier office.
What you can do: Create an environment where people can openly express themselves. Encourage them to work hard in fulfilling ways and achieve their dreams.
10. Facilitate Amazing Bosses
Amazing employees make me grow as an employer. They self-confidently get their value and help me get mine. They make me want to be worthy of working with somebody of such high caliber, without ever saying it directly of course.
What you can do: Make effort to genuinely show appreciation for any of the behaviors above so people feel their value and will grow to full potential. Then they will do the same for you.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-things-really-amazing-employees-do.html?nav=pop
3/15/13
8 Most Common Complaints About the Boss
What are you doing that really drives your employees crazy? You might want to give this list a close read.
Two facts of professional life:
So I asked Jim Hessler and Steve Motenko, leadership coaches and hosts of The Boss Show (a podcast "for anyone who is or has a boss") to list the most common complaints employees have about their bosses.
Why these guys? Their list is based on thousands of confidential discussions with employees and bosses.
They hear things your employees will never tell you.
The good news? Their list contains no real surprises.
The bad news? Their list contains no real surprises--meaning, most employees have the same issues with their bosses.
The great news? If you deal with the issues below, you'll immediately stand out as a great boss--and your business will be seen as a much better place to work.
Here's the list. My boss:
According to Hessler, The Boss Show provides a constant reminder that even in a hierarchical relationship, leadership is a two-way street. Rather than regarding disgruntled workers as "victims" of their bosses' incompetence or disengagement, he and Motenko often highlight the employee's responsibility for making things better.
"Ranking on the lower level of the professional totem pole seems to make a lot of people passive," Motenko says, "or perhaps they are there because they are passive."
So what can you do? Take a look at the list. Take a hard look at the list. How many items apply to you--even if not consistently but only occasionally?
Then get to work. If you believe your employees are your most important assets--and you should--start treating them with the consideration and respect they deserve.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-most-common-complaints-employees-have-about-their-boss.html
Two facts of professional life:
- Every employee has a boss, and
- Every employee has at least one complaint about his or her boss, including, unfortunately, you.
So I asked Jim Hessler and Steve Motenko, leadership coaches and hosts of The Boss Show (a podcast "for anyone who is or has a boss") to list the most common complaints employees have about their bosses.
Why these guys? Their list is based on thousands of confidential discussions with employees and bosses.
They hear things your employees will never tell you.
The good news? Their list contains no real surprises.
The bad news? Their list contains no real surprises--meaning, most employees have the same issues with their bosses.
The great news? If you deal with the issues below, you'll immediately stand out as a great boss--and your business will be seen as a much better place to work.
Here's the list. My boss:
- Micromanages me
- Doesn't listen
- Doesn't want to have his/her opinions and ideas challenged
- Doesn't follow through on promises
- Assigns deadlines without considering what's on my plate
- Doesn't have time for me
- Doesn't give helpful feedback about my performance
- Is disorganized and reactive
According to Hessler, The Boss Show provides a constant reminder that even in a hierarchical relationship, leadership is a two-way street. Rather than regarding disgruntled workers as "victims" of their bosses' incompetence or disengagement, he and Motenko often highlight the employee's responsibility for making things better.
"Ranking on the lower level of the professional totem pole seems to make a lot of people passive," Motenko says, "or perhaps they are there because they are passive."
So what can you do? Take a look at the list. Take a hard look at the list. How many items apply to you--even if not consistently but only occasionally?
Then get to work. If you believe your employees are your most important assets--and you should--start treating them with the consideration and respect they deserve.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-most-common-complaints-employees-have-about-their-boss.html
2/4/13
How to Let Down an Employee Who Isn't Ready for a Promotion
Missing out on a promotion can be a huge blow to high-performing employees. Here's how to keep them from jumping ship.
You've got a hard choice: Promote an excellent employee or bring in a better fit from the outside. If you decide to pass over your existing talent for a promotion (which sometimes is best for your business), you should be ready to do some serious damage control to keep the peace.
"It would be wonderful if the company could offer some sort of incentive to keep [the runner-up] around,” Stan Kimer, president of Total Engagement Consulting told Knowledge@Wharton in a recent post. “That could be a really super dynamic, but it's not that common."
Keeping a wounded employee on board requires a careful mix of comforting and coaching skills. Here are a few steps you can take to make it through this delicate situation. Managed carefully, you can move past an employee’s hurt feelings with your company’s top talent still intact.
Be honest. Easier said than done, obviously. If the employee didn’t get the gig he was hoping for, odds are there’s a reason. Discuss the experience and skill set the position required, and (as much as possible) why you promoted the person you did. But keep things positive, focusing more on attributes an employee can develop than skills or qualities he lacks.
Reassure your employee that he/she is valued, wanted, and important to your company. This is a crucial step in pulling someone back from the urge to jump ship. Give him a brief evaluation of his strengths in his current position, and discuss a plan for how to grow and improve. Feeling valued is a key indicator of job performance, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.
Most importantly, discuss other possibilities for advancement. No one wants to feel like they’re in a dead-end job, and that feeling will be all the more acute after losing out on a promotion. By helping your employee refocus on a different, more attainable possibility for moving up the ladder, you’ll assuage some of the disappointment and refocus his energy on a new goal.
http://www.inc.com/julie-strickland/passed-over-for-promotion-how-to-let-down.html
You've got a hard choice: Promote an excellent employee or bring in a better fit from the outside. If you decide to pass over your existing talent for a promotion (which sometimes is best for your business), you should be ready to do some serious damage control to keep the peace.
"It would be wonderful if the company could offer some sort of incentive to keep [the runner-up] around,” Stan Kimer, president of Total Engagement Consulting told Knowledge@Wharton in a recent post. “That could be a really super dynamic, but it's not that common."
Keeping a wounded employee on board requires a careful mix of comforting and coaching skills. Here are a few steps you can take to make it through this delicate situation. Managed carefully, you can move past an employee’s hurt feelings with your company’s top talent still intact.
Be honest. Easier said than done, obviously. If the employee didn’t get the gig he was hoping for, odds are there’s a reason. Discuss the experience and skill set the position required, and (as much as possible) why you promoted the person you did. But keep things positive, focusing more on attributes an employee can develop than skills or qualities he lacks.
Reassure your employee that he/she is valued, wanted, and important to your company. This is a crucial step in pulling someone back from the urge to jump ship. Give him a brief evaluation of his strengths in his current position, and discuss a plan for how to grow and improve. Feeling valued is a key indicator of job performance, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.
Most importantly, discuss other possibilities for advancement. No one wants to feel like they’re in a dead-end job, and that feeling will be all the more acute after losing out on a promotion. By helping your employee refocus on a different, more attainable possibility for moving up the ladder, you’ll assuage some of the disappointment and refocus his energy on a new goal.
http://www.inc.com/julie-strickland/passed-over-for-promotion-how-to-let-down.html
9 Hidden Qualities of Stellar Bosses
What your employees see you doing matters. But often it's what they can't see that matters more.
Good bosses look good on paper. Great bosses look great in person; their actions show their value.
Yet some bosses go even farther. They're remarkable--not because of what you see them do but what you don't see them do.
Where remarkable bosses are concerned, what you see is far from all you get:
They forgive... and they forget.
When an employee makes a mistake--especially a major mistake--it's easy to forever view that employee through the perspective of that mistake.
I know. I've done it.
But one mistake, or one weakness, is just one part of the whole person.
Great bosses are able to step back, set aside a mistake, and think about the whole employee.
Remarkable bosses are also able to forget that mistake, because they know that viewing any employee through the lens of one incident may forever impact how they treat that employee.
And they know the employee will be able to tell.
To forgive may be divine, but to forget can be even more divine.
They transform company goals into the employees' personal goals.
Great bosses inspire their employees to achieve company goals.
Remarkable bosses make their employees feel that what they do will benefit them as much as it does the company. After all, whom will you work harder for: A company or yourself?
Whether they get professional development, an opportunity to grow, a chance to shine, a chance to flex their favorite business muscles, employees who feel a sense of personal purpose almost always outperform employees who feel a sense of company purpose.
And they have a lot more fun doing it.
Remarkable bosses know their employees well enough to tap the personal, not just the professional.
They look past the action to the emotion and motivation.
Sometimes employees make mistakes or simply do the wrong thing. Sometimes they take over projects or roles without approval or justification. Sometimes they jockey for position, play political games, or ignore company objectives in pursuit of personal goals.
When that happens it's easy to assume they don't listen or don't care. But almost always there's a deeper reason: They feel stifled, they feel they have no control, they feel marginalized or frustrated--or maybe they are just trying to find a sense of meaning in their work that pay rates and titles can never provide.
Effective bosses deal with actions. Remarkable bosses search for the underlying issues that, when overcome, lead to much bigger change for the better.
They support without seeking credit.
A customer is upset. A vendor feels shortchanged. A coworker is frustrated. Whatever the issue, good bosses support their employees. They know that to do otherwise undermines the employee's credibility and possibly authority.
Afterword, most bosses will say to the employee, "Listen, I took up for you, but..."
Remarkable bosses don't say anything. They feel supporting their employees--even if that shines a negative spotlight on themselves--is the right thing to do and is therefore unremarkable.
Even though we all know it isn't.
They make fewer public decisions.
When a decision needs to be made, most of the time the best person to make that decision isn't the boss. Most of the time the best person is the employee closest to the issue.
Decisiveness is a quality of a good boss. Remarkable bosses can be decisive but often in a different way: They decide they aren't the right person and then decide who is the right person.
They do it not because they don't want to avoid making those decisions but because they know they shouldn't make those decisions.
They don't see control as a reward.
Many people desperately want to be the boss so they can finally call the shots.
Remarkable bosses don't care about control. As a result they aren't seen to exercise control.
They're seen as a person who helps.
They allow employees to learn their own lessons.
It's easy for a boss to debrief an employee and turn a teachable moment into a lesson learned.
It's a lot harder to let employees learn their own lessons, even though the lessons we learn on our own are the lessons we remember forever.
Remarkable bosses don't scold or dictate; they work together with an employee to figure out what happened and what to do to correct the mistake.
They help find a better way, not a disciplinary way.
Great employees don't need to be scolded or reprimanded. They know what they did wrong.
Sometimes staying silent is the best way to ensure they remember.
They let employees have the ideas.
Years ago I worked in manufacturing and my boss sent me to help move the production control offices. It was basically manual labor, but for two days it put me in a position to watch and hear and learn a lot about how the plant's production flow was controlled.
I found it fascinating and later I asked my boss if I could be trained to fill in as a production clerk. Those two days sparked a lifelong interest in productivity and process improvement.
Years later he admitted he sent me to help move their furniture. "I knew you'd go in there with your eyes wide open," he said, "and once you got a little taste I knew you'd love it."
Remarkable bosses see the potential in their employees and find ways to let them have the ideas, even though the outcome was what they intended all along.
They always go home feeling they could have done better.
Leadership is like a smorgasbord of insecurity. Bosses worry about employees and customers and results. You name it, they worry about it.
That's why remarkable bosses go home every day feeling they could have done things a little better or smarter. They wish they had treated employees with a little more sensitivity or empathy.
Most importantly, they always go home feeling they could have done more to fulfill the trust their employees place in them.
And that's why, although you can't see it, when they walk in the door every day remarkable bosses make a silent commitment to do their jobs even better than they did yesterday.
And then they do.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/9-hidden-qualities-of-remarkable-bosses-mon.html
Good bosses look good on paper. Great bosses look great in person; their actions show their value.
Yet some bosses go even farther. They're remarkable--not because of what you see them do but what you don't see them do.
Where remarkable bosses are concerned, what you see is far from all you get:
They forgive... and they forget.
When an employee makes a mistake--especially a major mistake--it's easy to forever view that employee through the perspective of that mistake.
I know. I've done it.
But one mistake, or one weakness, is just one part of the whole person.
Great bosses are able to step back, set aside a mistake, and think about the whole employee.
Remarkable bosses are also able to forget that mistake, because they know that viewing any employee through the lens of one incident may forever impact how they treat that employee.
And they know the employee will be able to tell.
To forgive may be divine, but to forget can be even more divine.
They transform company goals into the employees' personal goals.
Great bosses inspire their employees to achieve company goals.
Remarkable bosses make their employees feel that what they do will benefit them as much as it does the company. After all, whom will you work harder for: A company or yourself?
Whether they get professional development, an opportunity to grow, a chance to shine, a chance to flex their favorite business muscles, employees who feel a sense of personal purpose almost always outperform employees who feel a sense of company purpose.
And they have a lot more fun doing it.
Remarkable bosses know their employees well enough to tap the personal, not just the professional.
They look past the action to the emotion and motivation.
Sometimes employees make mistakes or simply do the wrong thing. Sometimes they take over projects or roles without approval or justification. Sometimes they jockey for position, play political games, or ignore company objectives in pursuit of personal goals.
When that happens it's easy to assume they don't listen or don't care. But almost always there's a deeper reason: They feel stifled, they feel they have no control, they feel marginalized or frustrated--or maybe they are just trying to find a sense of meaning in their work that pay rates and titles can never provide.
Effective bosses deal with actions. Remarkable bosses search for the underlying issues that, when overcome, lead to much bigger change for the better.
They support without seeking credit.
A customer is upset. A vendor feels shortchanged. A coworker is frustrated. Whatever the issue, good bosses support their employees. They know that to do otherwise undermines the employee's credibility and possibly authority.
Afterword, most bosses will say to the employee, "Listen, I took up for you, but..."
Remarkable bosses don't say anything. They feel supporting their employees--even if that shines a negative spotlight on themselves--is the right thing to do and is therefore unremarkable.
Even though we all know it isn't.
They make fewer public decisions.
When a decision needs to be made, most of the time the best person to make that decision isn't the boss. Most of the time the best person is the employee closest to the issue.
Decisiveness is a quality of a good boss. Remarkable bosses can be decisive but often in a different way: They decide they aren't the right person and then decide who is the right person.
They do it not because they don't want to avoid making those decisions but because they know they shouldn't make those decisions.
They don't see control as a reward.
Many people desperately want to be the boss so they can finally call the shots.
Remarkable bosses don't care about control. As a result they aren't seen to exercise control.
They're seen as a person who helps.
They allow employees to learn their own lessons.
It's easy for a boss to debrief an employee and turn a teachable moment into a lesson learned.
It's a lot harder to let employees learn their own lessons, even though the lessons we learn on our own are the lessons we remember forever.
Remarkable bosses don't scold or dictate; they work together with an employee to figure out what happened and what to do to correct the mistake.
They help find a better way, not a disciplinary way.
Great employees don't need to be scolded or reprimanded. They know what they did wrong.
Sometimes staying silent is the best way to ensure they remember.
They let employees have the ideas.
Years ago I worked in manufacturing and my boss sent me to help move the production control offices. It was basically manual labor, but for two days it put me in a position to watch and hear and learn a lot about how the plant's production flow was controlled.
I found it fascinating and later I asked my boss if I could be trained to fill in as a production clerk. Those two days sparked a lifelong interest in productivity and process improvement.
Years later he admitted he sent me to help move their furniture. "I knew you'd go in there with your eyes wide open," he said, "and once you got a little taste I knew you'd love it."
Remarkable bosses see the potential in their employees and find ways to let them have the ideas, even though the outcome was what they intended all along.
They always go home feeling they could have done better.
Leadership is like a smorgasbord of insecurity. Bosses worry about employees and customers and results. You name it, they worry about it.
That's why remarkable bosses go home every day feeling they could have done things a little better or smarter. They wish they had treated employees with a little more sensitivity or empathy.
Most importantly, they always go home feeling they could have done more to fulfill the trust their employees place in them.
And that's why, although you can't see it, when they walk in the door every day remarkable bosses make a silent commitment to do their jobs even better than they did yesterday.
And then they do.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/9-hidden-qualities-of-remarkable-bosses-mon.html
1/3/13
Top 10 Traits of an Exceptional Boss
The first lesson in business is figuring out who you should listen to and who you shouldn't.
Let me ask you something. Would you trust a surgeon who’s never performed an actual procedure? How about a litigation attorney who’s never seen the inside of a courtroom? Of course not.
How about if they got good grades in school and could write really well on the subject? Would you let the doctor use a scalpel on you? Trust the attorney to litigate a big intellectual property suit? Probably not.
Likewise, you shouldn’t waste your time with so-called leadership experts and management academics who have never successfully led a company or run an organization -- emphasis on the word “successfully.”
The first lesson in business is figuring out who you should listen to and who you shouldn’t.
To me, it’s a no-brainer. If you have a choice, you should learn from those who’ve actually accomplished what you’re trying to do. That’s what I’ve always done and it hasn’t failed me yet.
Looking back on a long and eventful career as a high-tech executive and strategy consultant, of all the managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs I’ve worked with, certain management qualities stand out. These are the characteristics that achieve results in the real world.
They hold themselves and others accountable. There are no absolutes in business. You make commitments, put your butt on the line, then see how you did. Unless you complete that feedback loop and hold everyone’s feet to the fire, nothing really counts. Some managers are fearless in the way they accept responsibility and hold themselves and others accountable.
They’re not full of surprises. An often overlooked but incredibly important aspect of management is the simple fact that we’ve all got issues, some more than others. Sure, we’re all different, but if you’re overly dysfunctional, if everything’s got to be about you, if you create more problems than you solve, if you have a disruptive or abusive management style, you’d better have an awful lot of great qualities under the hood to compensate, that’s for sure.
They fix things. A big part of running a business or an organization is troubleshooting and problem solving. One CEO I’ve worked with for years says that’s what he loves most about his job. Whether it’s a product, a customer, or an employee, every day brings new challenges and problems to solve. Every great manager I’ve ever known is a born troubleshooter and problem solver.
They have a feel for the business. Most managers just put their heads down and try to be good at their specific function. But the best managers have a solid understanding of all the key aspects of the business they’re in. They understand the products, the technology, market share, sales channels, and how to read an income statement. Those well-rounded managers make the best executives and business leaders.
They get the job done. Some people just make things happen. You give them the big picture, turn them loose and stand back. They’re like machines that are programmed to do whatever it takes to get things done. And they’ll find a way, no matter what. Those are the kind of people you want running things.
They manage up and sideways effectively. Lots of managers are good at what they do, but put them in an organization of any size and they flop. More often than not, that’s because they’re good technicians who just want to put their heads down, get things done, and go home. The best managers know how to communicate and work effectively with their bosses and peers, how to give them what they need to be successful and get the same in return.
They’re awesome decision-makers. More than anything, management is about decision-making. That’s where the rubber meets the road. The most effective way I know to do that is to ask the right people the right questions, listen to what they tell you, then trust your gut and make the call. If you’re right a lot more than you’re wrong, you’re in good shape.
They’re effective, not productive. We live and work in a fast-paced, ever-changing, highly competitive world. Maybe there was a time when process and productivity ruled, but these days, management needs to be flexible and adaptive. Sure, you’ve got to prioritize, but once you figure out what needs to be done, it’s generally more important to be effective than to squeeze every last iota of productivity out of yourself and your people.
They live for their jobs. The big management fad these days is employee engagement. But it’s even more important for managers and business leaders to be engaged, empowered, driven, and motivated. In my experience, that’s not a given. The best bosses I’ve known all live for their jobs, so to speak.
They have a sense of humor, humility, and empathy. When we’re young, we tend to be full of all the self-importance of youth. After all, children are completely egocentric and none of us grow up overnight. But time and experience usually teaches us lessons in our own limitations and fallibility. That tends to infuse a sense of humor, humility, and empathy, at least in some well-balanced adults who just so happen to make great bosses.
The thing about lists like these is they tend to be composites of all the best qualities we’ve seen in ourselves and others. That’s certainly the case here so, if you’ve got five or six of these qualities, you’re probably doing fine. But make no mistake. It’s a competitive world out there. If you want to make it, skip all the inspirational feel-good fluff and focus on what it takes to succeed -- in the real world.
http://www.inc.com/steve-tobak/10-traits-of-exceptional-bosses.html
Let me ask you something. Would you trust a surgeon who’s never performed an actual procedure? How about a litigation attorney who’s never seen the inside of a courtroom? Of course not.
How about if they got good grades in school and could write really well on the subject? Would you let the doctor use a scalpel on you? Trust the attorney to litigate a big intellectual property suit? Probably not.
Likewise, you shouldn’t waste your time with so-called leadership experts and management academics who have never successfully led a company or run an organization -- emphasis on the word “successfully.”
The first lesson in business is figuring out who you should listen to and who you shouldn’t.
To me, it’s a no-brainer. If you have a choice, you should learn from those who’ve actually accomplished what you’re trying to do. That’s what I’ve always done and it hasn’t failed me yet.
Looking back on a long and eventful career as a high-tech executive and strategy consultant, of all the managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs I’ve worked with, certain management qualities stand out. These are the characteristics that achieve results in the real world.
They hold themselves and others accountable. There are no absolutes in business. You make commitments, put your butt on the line, then see how you did. Unless you complete that feedback loop and hold everyone’s feet to the fire, nothing really counts. Some managers are fearless in the way they accept responsibility and hold themselves and others accountable.
They’re not full of surprises. An often overlooked but incredibly important aspect of management is the simple fact that we’ve all got issues, some more than others. Sure, we’re all different, but if you’re overly dysfunctional, if everything’s got to be about you, if you create more problems than you solve, if you have a disruptive or abusive management style, you’d better have an awful lot of great qualities under the hood to compensate, that’s for sure.
They fix things. A big part of running a business or an organization is troubleshooting and problem solving. One CEO I’ve worked with for years says that’s what he loves most about his job. Whether it’s a product, a customer, or an employee, every day brings new challenges and problems to solve. Every great manager I’ve ever known is a born troubleshooter and problem solver.
They have a feel for the business. Most managers just put their heads down and try to be good at their specific function. But the best managers have a solid understanding of all the key aspects of the business they’re in. They understand the products, the technology, market share, sales channels, and how to read an income statement. Those well-rounded managers make the best executives and business leaders.
They get the job done. Some people just make things happen. You give them the big picture, turn them loose and stand back. They’re like machines that are programmed to do whatever it takes to get things done. And they’ll find a way, no matter what. Those are the kind of people you want running things.
They manage up and sideways effectively. Lots of managers are good at what they do, but put them in an organization of any size and they flop. More often than not, that’s because they’re good technicians who just want to put their heads down, get things done, and go home. The best managers know how to communicate and work effectively with their bosses and peers, how to give them what they need to be successful and get the same in return.
They’re awesome decision-makers. More than anything, management is about decision-making. That’s where the rubber meets the road. The most effective way I know to do that is to ask the right people the right questions, listen to what they tell you, then trust your gut and make the call. If you’re right a lot more than you’re wrong, you’re in good shape.
They’re effective, not productive. We live and work in a fast-paced, ever-changing, highly competitive world. Maybe there was a time when process and productivity ruled, but these days, management needs to be flexible and adaptive. Sure, you’ve got to prioritize, but once you figure out what needs to be done, it’s generally more important to be effective than to squeeze every last iota of productivity out of yourself and your people.
They live for their jobs. The big management fad these days is employee engagement. But it’s even more important for managers and business leaders to be engaged, empowered, driven, and motivated. In my experience, that’s not a given. The best bosses I’ve known all live for their jobs, so to speak.
They have a sense of humor, humility, and empathy. When we’re young, we tend to be full of all the self-importance of youth. After all, children are completely egocentric and none of us grow up overnight. But time and experience usually teaches us lessons in our own limitations and fallibility. That tends to infuse a sense of humor, humility, and empathy, at least in some well-balanced adults who just so happen to make great bosses.
The thing about lists like these is they tend to be composites of all the best qualities we’ve seen in ourselves and others. That’s certainly the case here so, if you’ve got five or six of these qualities, you’re probably doing fine. But make no mistake. It’s a competitive world out there. If you want to make it, skip all the inspirational feel-good fluff and focus on what it takes to succeed -- in the real world.
http://www.inc.com/steve-tobak/10-traits-of-exceptional-bosses.html
12/6/12
7 Unusual Things Great Bosses Do
Where employees are concerned, great leaders don't take. Great leaders give--especially these seven things:
They give a glimpse of vulnerability.
To employees, you're often not a person. You're a boss. (Kind of like when you were in school and you saw a teacher at the grocery store; it was jarring and uncomfortable because teachers weren't people. They were teachers.)
That's why showing vulnerability is a humanizing way to break down the artificial barrier that typically separates bosses from employees. One easy way to break down that barrier is to ask for help.
But don't ask the wrong way. Don't puff out your chest, assume the power-position, and in your deepest voice intone, "Listen, John, I need your help." John knows you don't really need his help. You want him to do something.
Instead ask the right way. Imagine you've traveled to an unfamiliar place, you only know a few words of the language, and you're both lost and a little scared.
How would you ask for help? You would be humble. You would be real. You'd cringe a little and dip your head slightly and say, "Can you help me?" Asked that way, John would know you truly needed help. You've lowered your guard. You're vulnerable. And you're not afraid to show it.
By showing vulnerability, you lift the other person. You implicitly recognize her skills while extending trust.
And you set a great example: Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness.
It's a sign of strength.
They give a nudge.
From the employee's point of view the best ideas are never your ideas. The best ideas are their ideas, and rightly so. So don't spell out what you want done. Leave room for initiative. Leave room for ownership.
When you describe what you want to be done, paint with a broad brush. Give employees room to take your ideas and make them their own.
They'll do more than you imagined possible--and they'll feel a sense of satisfaction and gratification that simply following instructions can never provide.
They give unexpected attention.
Everyone loves attention. Unfortunately you don't have unlimited time to devote to each employee.
So make the most of the time you do have. Don't just comment on the big stuff, the stuff you're supposed to focus on.
Notice a small detail. Praise a particular phrase she used to smooth the transition from customer conflict to problem resolution. Praise how he swung by another employee's desk to grab paperwork he could deliver on his way to another office. Pick something small, something positive, something helpful--something unexpected--to show you really pay attention.
Pick out details and employees know you're watching--in a good way--and not only will they work harder, more importantly they will feel better about themselves.
They give employees a break.
He messed up. Badly. Not only are you a little pissed, this is a teachable moment. You feel compelled to talk about it, possibly at length.
Don't. For a good employee, the lesson is already learned. Catch his eye, nod, let it go, and help him fix the problem.
Once in a while employees can all use a break. When they get one they never forget it. And they try really hard to show they deserved that break--and to make sure they never need another one.
They give a peek inside.
My boss was nearly yelling at a supplier who hadn't met a key timeline. It wasn't ugly but it was close. In the middle of their "discussion," when the supplier glanced away, he turned and winked at me.
My boss was signaling that his emotional display was partly for effect, that he had a plan in mind and that I was in on things. I was an insider. We were partners.
We were in it together.
It's easy, as an employee, not to feel like you and your boss are in it together. Make sure your employees do. Give them occasional peeks inside.
They give an undeserved compliment.
Compliments don't always have to be earned. Sometimes a compliment can be like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
When you see something in employees that they don't see--at least not yet--they often try hard to fulfill the belief you have in them.
That happened to me. I went out for wrestling in ninth grade and was nervous, scared, intimidated--pick any fearful adjective. It fit. A week or so into practices I heard the coach talking to one of the seniors. "That kid there," he said, referring to me, "will be a state champion by the time he's a senior."
He was wrong. It turned out I wasn't. But I immediately felt more confident, more self-assured, and incredibly motivated. Those feelings lasted for a long time.
He believed in me.
And I started to believe in myself.
They give a hat rack.
Employees who need something--whether it's a day off, a favor, a break, a chance--often come to you with hat in hand.
They're vulnerable because they need.
Take their hat and hang it up for them. You may not be able to provide what they want, but you can work through their issue with compassion and generosity and grace.
Never let an employee stand with hat in hand. It's one of the worst feelings possible--and one you can make instantly disappear.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/7-unusual-things-great-bosses-do.html
They give a glimpse of vulnerability.
To employees, you're often not a person. You're a boss. (Kind of like when you were in school and you saw a teacher at the grocery store; it was jarring and uncomfortable because teachers weren't people. They were teachers.)
That's why showing vulnerability is a humanizing way to break down the artificial barrier that typically separates bosses from employees. One easy way to break down that barrier is to ask for help.
But don't ask the wrong way. Don't puff out your chest, assume the power-position, and in your deepest voice intone, "Listen, John, I need your help." John knows you don't really need his help. You want him to do something.
Instead ask the right way. Imagine you've traveled to an unfamiliar place, you only know a few words of the language, and you're both lost and a little scared.
How would you ask for help? You would be humble. You would be real. You'd cringe a little and dip your head slightly and say, "Can you help me?" Asked that way, John would know you truly needed help. You've lowered your guard. You're vulnerable. And you're not afraid to show it.
By showing vulnerability, you lift the other person. You implicitly recognize her skills while extending trust.
And you set a great example: Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness.
It's a sign of strength.
They give a nudge.
From the employee's point of view the best ideas are never your ideas. The best ideas are their ideas, and rightly so. So don't spell out what you want done. Leave room for initiative. Leave room for ownership.
When you describe what you want to be done, paint with a broad brush. Give employees room to take your ideas and make them their own.
They'll do more than you imagined possible--and they'll feel a sense of satisfaction and gratification that simply following instructions can never provide.
They give unexpected attention.
Everyone loves attention. Unfortunately you don't have unlimited time to devote to each employee.
So make the most of the time you do have. Don't just comment on the big stuff, the stuff you're supposed to focus on.
Notice a small detail. Praise a particular phrase she used to smooth the transition from customer conflict to problem resolution. Praise how he swung by another employee's desk to grab paperwork he could deliver on his way to another office. Pick something small, something positive, something helpful--something unexpected--to show you really pay attention.
Pick out details and employees know you're watching--in a good way--and not only will they work harder, more importantly they will feel better about themselves.
They give employees a break.
He messed up. Badly. Not only are you a little pissed, this is a teachable moment. You feel compelled to talk about it, possibly at length.
Don't. For a good employee, the lesson is already learned. Catch his eye, nod, let it go, and help him fix the problem.
Once in a while employees can all use a break. When they get one they never forget it. And they try really hard to show they deserved that break--and to make sure they never need another one.
They give a peek inside.
My boss was nearly yelling at a supplier who hadn't met a key timeline. It wasn't ugly but it was close. In the middle of their "discussion," when the supplier glanced away, he turned and winked at me.
My boss was signaling that his emotional display was partly for effect, that he had a plan in mind and that I was in on things. I was an insider. We were partners.
We were in it together.
It's easy, as an employee, not to feel like you and your boss are in it together. Make sure your employees do. Give them occasional peeks inside.
They give an undeserved compliment.
Compliments don't always have to be earned. Sometimes a compliment can be like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
When you see something in employees that they don't see--at least not yet--they often try hard to fulfill the belief you have in them.
That happened to me. I went out for wrestling in ninth grade and was nervous, scared, intimidated--pick any fearful adjective. It fit. A week or so into practices I heard the coach talking to one of the seniors. "That kid there," he said, referring to me, "will be a state champion by the time he's a senior."
He was wrong. It turned out I wasn't. But I immediately felt more confident, more self-assured, and incredibly motivated. Those feelings lasted for a long time.
He believed in me.
And I started to believe in myself.
They give a hat rack.
Employees who need something--whether it's a day off, a favor, a break, a chance--often come to you with hat in hand.
They're vulnerable because they need.
Take their hat and hang it up for them. You may not be able to provide what they want, but you can work through their issue with compassion and generosity and grace.
Never let an employee stand with hat in hand. It's one of the worst feelings possible--and one you can make instantly disappear.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/7-unusual-things-great-bosses-do.html
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