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In my life I've had a few bad bosses, a lot of okay bosses and just a couple that were beyond incredible. The really great bosses are the ones we reme
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In my life I've had a few bad bosses, a lot of okay bosses and just a couple that were beyond incredible. The really great bosses are the ones we remember forever. They're the ones we try to emulate when we have employees of our own.
In my ongoing endeavor to provide you with thought-provoking and pertinent information, I found this gem. "10 Things Only Exceptional Bosses Give Employees" on Linkedin. Reading through, I was made to recall experiences with some of the great bosses that I've had, like the one who really took interest in helping me understand and perform my job better. She literally sat by my side, in my early recruiting days to teach and mentor me, and is much of the reason that I'm a successful recruiter now. In the words of Jeff Haden, the author of this article "Exceptional bosses care to an exceptional degree about the people who work for them." I've certainly found that to be true. |
... autonomy and independence.
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.
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. |
...clear expectations.
While every job should include some degree of independence, every job does need basic expectations for how specific situations should be handled.
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. |
...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. |
... a true sense of purpose.
Everyone likes to feel a part of something bigger. Everyone loves to feel that sense of teamwork that turns a group of individuals into a real team.
Let employees know what you want to achieve for your business, for your customers and ever your community. Feeling a true purpose starts with knowing what to care about and, more importantly, why to care. |
...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.
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. |
...a real sense of connection
Employees 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 that they see and appreciate the person, not just the worker. |
...consistency.
Great bosses treat each employee differently, but they also treat every employee fairly. Exceptional bosses know they key to showing consistency and fairness is communication. The more employees understand why a decision was made, the less likely they are to assume unfair treatment or favoritism. |
...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. |
...public praise.
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?)
You might have to work to find reasons to recognize and 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. |
...a chance for a meaningful future.
Exceptional bosses take the time to develop employees for the job they someday hope to land, even if that job is with another company. 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 employee's future. |
So, here's to you all being candidates for best boss. I'm sure, by following all or most of these your employees will certainly nominate you for that list. I know that my career has been made more fulfilling and successful with the mentorship of my employers. |
In case you haven't seen it yet, Oxford Tax Recruiting has gone live with our new website. In the upcoming months, you can go there to find helpful blog posts an information. You can sign up now to request assistance in recruiting new employees.
As always, if you have specific questions, or suggestions for our newsletter, I am always appreciative of the input.
I hope you are all enjoying your summers, as for me, I'll be vacationing lakeside and practicing my fly fishing skills! |
To your continued success,
Jay
Jay McCauley
Managing Director
Oxford Tax Recruiting |
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