What makes great bosses

A good boss knows the skills and capabilities of his or her subordinates and knows what tasks to delegate to which staff. Other benefits of delegation include: creating a culture of trust when the boss assigns some of his tasks to a subordinate; it gives employees an opportunity to stretch and grow their capabilities through working on new assignments; employees feel valued and important and this can boost morale.

Good bosses give staff freedom and authority to make decisions within certain tasks and areas of their expertise. This enables employees to fix problems, come up with ideas and suggestions and implement solutions without having to keep going back to the boss or supervisor to ask for permission. This creates a liberating environment where employees can really shine and become top performers within their respective niches.

The overall beneficiaries of employee empowerment are the customers who get faster and more top-notch, high quality service. Employee empowerment can likewise lead to creativity and innovation where the staff figure out better, easier, faster and efficient ways to do their daily processes.

As humans we all have a need for appreciation. Bosses who do not praise their subordinates are doing them a disservice. A good boss always finds an opportunity to acknowledge and recognize the good work being done by employees. When a boss praises the specific activity that the staff has accomplished, this boosts the self-esteem of the person and increases the likelihood of the good performance being repeated again and again. Benefits of giving praise include happier employees, more commitment, better customer care, better work performance, less absenteeism, less turnover, better financial performance, better staff morale and overall people enjoy working with each other in a pleasant and friendly way.

Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction. To constantly peer over their shoulders and watch their every move like a hawk. A boss who micromanages staff is one who likes to centralize power and decision making around himself.

The boss is not confident that employees will do a good job and thus is comfortable watching every step as staff perform their duties. Good bosses do not micromanage staff but it is important to note that there are situations where micromanagement is warranted such as during critical deadlines or when a staff member is new and the boss is taking time to learn the work habits and productivity of the new team member in order to determine how much autonomy to give the new staff.

One way to compliment someone and to show that you care is to truly listen to them. Good bosses make time to listen to their staff. Good bosses listen to staff without interrupting them, allowing the staff to fully articulate their issue and feel they have been heard and understood. A good boss shows nonverbal signs to signal that they are listening to you such as nodding, looking at you and making eye contact.

By listening to employees a boss can learn important information. It correspondingly builds trust and confidence between the boss and subordinates. Listening shows empathy for staff especially if the staff is sharing personal information that is affecting their work output.

Finally, listening to feedback about current processes and proposed new initiatives provides valuable insights and data that can save the company time and money in terms of efficiency. The best way to understand people is to listen to them. They realize each employee interaction can impact the work relationship. They understand that accountability can still be expected while maintaining a high level of compassion.

Fostering within yourself traits like these 10 can help strengthen your leadership skills and encourage your employees to do their best work. Wish you could get your hands on more great leadership and management tips? Learn how Insperity can help your business.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Discover how we can improve your business. Home Blog 10 top traits of great bosses. Subscribe When you are ready to subscribe click here. Sign in with Sign in with. You could probably pinpoint the top traits of a rotten boss at the drop of a hat, right? The ability to mentor staff and provide resources Managers strive to hire employees who are already skilled in the requirements of their positions. Trust Employees need to trust their boss to have their best professional interests at heart of course in combination with the best interests of the company.

The willingness to deliver open and honest feedback All of us have weaknesses and room for growth, but many will never recognize this unless it is brought to light by someone else. Sharing credit with others does not cost the boss anything yet it has a high return on investment. When good behavior and performance is praised, acknowledged, and recognized, it is likely to be repeated.

This can lead to a snowball effect where the employees who have been appreciated keep performing better and better thereby increasing the overall success and contribution of a particular unit, department, division, branch, and the overall company. Some ways of caring about the well-being of staff include the following: providing good and safe working conditions; enabling career growth for employees; providing monetary rewards such as promotions, pay raises, and bonuses.

Providing good competitive salaries and benefits; opportunities for professional development and training; challenging work assignments and offering regular feedback and praise. Other ways of caring about staff consist of valuing staff time by having fewer and relevant meetings; instituting and upholding a company culture with strong shared values and encouraging work-life balance.

All these actions help to increase job satisfaction and show employees that their boss cares about them. On the flip side, bad bosses are disrespectful. Typical ways of disrespecting employees include yelling, shouting, sulking, losing your temper, bullying, blaming others, and not sharing credit.

A workplace with disrespect is toxic, unproductive, and fearful. Good bosses earn respect from their employees by doing the right things such as holding employees accountable for their job, appreciating and praising subordinates, caring for staff, listening attentively, being available, having empathy , delegation, and trust. Bosses who share personal experiences demonstrate their vulnerabilities and helps employees appreciate the human side of the manager.

When a supervisor shares real-life struggles and how they process the issues of life, it not only humanizes their relationship but can also serve as a life mentor for employees.

It also gives the employee a lens into the personal life of their boss. I believe that doing a job must be interesting. While working people must have fun and enjoy their job this will make you more productive. Incorporating fun activities, events, and organized play-time for employees gives them something to look forward to. Things as simple as blue jean Friday or a lunchtime video game challenge can not only be fun — but also a great team-building exercise.

Good bosses give staff freedom and authority to make decisions within certain tasks and areas of their expertise. This enables employees to fix problems, come up with ideas and suggestions, and implement solutions without having to keep going back to the boss or supervisor to ask for permission. This creates a liberating environment where employees can really shine and become top performers within their respective niches.

Employee empowerment can likewise lead to creativity and innovation where the staff figures out better, easier, faster, and efficient ways to do their daily processes. Diverse personalities and varying frames-of-references can make team interactions difficult.

Great bosses have good team leadership skills that foster team development. A great boss knows how to gather the troops and get them all headed, in unity, in the same direction. Employees do the work of the organization and great bosses care about what employees think and proactively solicits employee feedback.

They understand that employees often have the answers to many of the operational problems. And when asked, employees feel valued for being able to contribute their thoughts and opinions. To constantly peer over their shoulders and watch their every move like a hawk. Good bosses do not micromanage staff but it is important to note that there are situations where micromanagement is warranted such as during critical deadlines or when a staff member is new and the boss is taking time to learn the work habits and productivity of the new team member in order to determine how much autonomy to give the new staff.

Employees do the work of the organization and ideal bosses care about what employees think and proactively solicits employee feedback. So, In my views Bosses should listen to employees and should also consider their ideas and perspectives. Employees go to work with the intention of doing a good job and should be rewarded for meeting and exceeding job requirements.

A great boss stops by and says hello. She makes herself available. She tries to get a better appreciation for the entire person inside the employee.

Employees who feel that their boss is caring and interested in who they are will be more committed to their work. A great boss observes her employees to find out what they do best. She talks to them about what aspects of their job they enjoy the most. A great boss taps into and leverages the instincts and skills her employees have. This creates a win-win as she is able to reap the rewards of employee satisfaction, and employees grow increasingly inspired and confident about their work, skills, and talents.

Moreover, they feel appreciated, that someone has their best interests in mind. She takes the time to sit down and discuss their goals with them and she does what she can to help them achieve such ambitions.

An effective boss encourages her employees not to be scared of making mistakes along the way.