10 Things Only Exceptional Bosses Give Employees
Good
bosses have strong organizational skills. Good bosses have solid
decision-making skills. Good bosses get important things done.
Exceptional
bosses do all of the above -- and more. (And we remember them forever.) Sure, they care about
their company and customers, their vendors and suppliers. But most importantly,
they care to an exceptional degree about the people who work for them.
And
that's why they're so rare.
Extraordinary bosses
give every employee:
1. Autonomy and
independence.
Great
organizations are built on optimizing processes and procedures. Still, every
task doesn't deserve a best practice or a micro-managed approach. (Here's
looking at you, manufacturing industry.)
Engagement
and satisfaction are largely based on autonomy and independence. I care when
it's "mine." I care when I'm in charge and feel empowered to do
what's right.
Plus,
freedom breeds innovation: Even heavily process-oriented positions have room
for different approaches. (Still looking at you, manufacturing.)
Whenever
possible, give your employees the autonomy and independence to work the way
they work best. When you do, they almost always find ways to do their jobs better
than you imagined possible.
2. Clear expectations.
While
every job should include some degree of independence, every job does also need basic expectations for how specific
situations should be handled.
Criticize
an employee for offering a discount to an irate customer today even though
yesterday that was standard practice and you make that employee's job
impossible. Few things are more stressful than not knowing what is expected
from one day to the next.
When
an exceptional boss changes a standard or guideline, she communicates those
changes first -- and when that is not possible, she takes the time to explain
why she made the decision she made, and what she expects in the future.
3. Meaningful
objectives.
Almost
everyone is competitive; often the best employees are extremely
competitive--especially with themselves. Meaningful targets can create a sense
of purpose and add a little meaning to even the most repetitive tasks.
Plus,
goals are fun. Without a meaningful goal to shoot for, work is just work.
No
one likes work.
4. A true sense of
purpose.
Everyone
likes to feel a part of something bigger. Everyone loves to feel that sense of
teamwork and esprit de corps that turns a group of individuals into a real team.
The
best missions involve making a real impact on the lives of the customers you
serve. Let employees know what you want to achieve for your business, for your
customers, and even your community. And if you can, let them create a few
missions of their own.
Feeling a true purpose starts with
knowing what to care about and, more importantly, why to care.
5. Opportunities to
provide significant input.
Engaged
employees have ideas; take away opportunities for them to make suggestions, or
instantly disregard their ideas without consideration, and they immediately
disengage.
That's
why exceptional bosses make it incredibly easy for employees
to offer suggestions.
They ask leading questions. They probe gently. They help employees feel
comfortable proposing new ways to get things done. When an idea isn't feasible,
they always take the time to explain why.
Great
bosses know that employees who make suggestions care about the company, so they
ensure those employees know their input is valued -- and appreciated.
6. A real sense of
connection.
Every
employee works for a paycheck (otherwise they would do volunteer work), but
every employee wants to work for more than a paycheck: They want to work with
and for people they respect and admire--and with and for people who respect and
admire them.
That's
why a kind word, a quick discussion about family, an informal conversation to
ask if an employee needs any help -- those moments are much more important than
group meetings or formal evaluations.
A
true sense of connection is personal. That's why exceptional bosses show they see and appreciate the person, not just the worker.
7. Reliable
consistency.
Most
people don't mind a boss who is strict, demanding, and quick to offer (not
always positive) feedback, as long as he or she treats every employee fairly.
(Great
bosses treat each employee differently but they also treat every
employee fairly. There's a big difference.)
Exceptional
bosses know the key to showing employees they are consistent and fair is
communication: The more employees understand why a decision was made, the less
likely they are to assume unfair treatment or favoritism.
8. Private criticism.
No
employee is perfect. Every employee needs constructive feedback. Every employee
deserves constructive feedback. Good bosses give that feedback.
Great
bosses always do it in private.
9. Public praise.
Every
employee -- even a relatively poor performer -- does something well.
Every employee deserves praise and appreciation. It's easy to recognize
some of your best employees because they're consistently doing awesome things.
(Maybe consistent recognition is a reason they're your best employees?
Something to think about.)
You
might have to work hard to find reasons to recognize an employee who simply
meets standards, but that's okay: A few words of recognition--especially public
recognition--may be the nudge an average performer needs to start becoming a
great performer.
10. A chance for a
meaningful future.
Every
job should have the potential to lead to greater things. Exceptional bosses
take the time to develop employees for the job they someday hope to land, even
if that job is with another company.
How
can you know what an employee hopes to do someday? Ask.
Employees
will only care about your business after you first show you care about them.
One of the best ways is to show that while you certainly have hopes for your
company's future, you also have hopes for your
employees' futures.
JEFF HADEN
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140630120036-20017018-10-things-only-exceptional-bosses-give-employees
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