|
Think of the worst supervisor you’ve had. Chances are someone comes immediately to mind. Is it your current supervisor? Why do you consider this person “the worst?”
Now, think of a situation where you had the best boss ever. It is harder to identify the best boss, isn’t it? Did you want to do a better job for the best boss vs the worst boss? Of course! The impact of a bad boss Unfortunately, it’s far more likely that the majority of our work life has been spent reporting to bad bosses. Bad owners/managers/bosses continue to dominate the landscape of corporate America and global business today. Despite the research and training available on effective leadership, there are too many bosses that employees consider “bad.” Gallup says 82 percent of managers fail. They are an epidemic killing off employee productivity, loyalty, creativity, and company profit. The worst bosses contribute to poor morale and bad attitudes, which lead to poor productivity, indifferent customer service, lower sales, and reduced quality of work and service. They have employee turnover problems and often have to coerce, bribe, or threaten employees to do things. In big companies, poor bosses stand on every step of the corporate ladder. In smaller organizations, the owners or key executives are often the culprits. In addition: 80 percent of employees say they get no respect at work. Less than 55 percent of Americans are satisfied with their jobs compared to 61.1 percent in the year 2000. I know what you are thinking, what about those awful bosses who get excellent results? Yes, it does seem that some managers do well in spite of the pitiful leadership practices. In fact, if you talk to enough people, you’ll find poor bosses and good bosses can both achieve organizational objectives. The difference is in the “how” and what happens long-term. Results are unsustainable because poor bosses sap employees’ commitment to their jobs. It's a sad picture, but it can change and is changing. The past two years since the pandemic have revealed what we want to see: the leaders who are really focused on the well-being of their employees vs the ones only focused on the bottom line. Start by looking at your team. The number one reason employees say they quit is because of unhappiness with their boss or their boss’ boss. Employees with bad bosses are four times more likely to leave than employees who believe they have good bosses. Bad Bosses (Toxic or negative workplace and lack of support): Commands and controls employees. Takes the credit for wins. Communicates ambiguity. Blames others for problems. Tells employees what to do with little or no input. Offers little training or coaching. Takes advantage of others. Overall, lacks empathy and humility. Good Bosses (Excellent working relationships and positive atmosphere): Listens and asks for employee input. Talks “We” and teamwork. |Engages through positive influence. Shares credit for wins. |Communicates with passion and clarity. Owns the problems. Provides ongoing training and development. Models the way or leads by example. Respects others as partners. Leads with integrity. Pulling it all together: We never really work for a bad boss. We go through the motions but really don’t give any quality to our jobs. But with a good boss, we show up and give our best work. Why? Because our boss communicates, appreciates, and supports us. If you are a manager at any level, how do you start to become a better boss? If you want your team to be better, you must become a better leader. So, keep learning: read leadership books, attend seminars and webinars, and get a personal coach. Ask for feedback and be willing to change. Do this consistently and apply new strategies immediately. As a result, you will accelerate your career success and that of your team.
0 Comments
Managers should always have an exit strategy. Because if you receive a promotion or new position, you’ll need to have a plan in place for your departure including a suggestion for someone to fill your role. And that means you need to be preparing your employees for leadership now.
But being a manager isn’t all about you and your goals either. It’s important to instill leadership skills in your employees for the good of their careers, too. When they’re equipped with management skills, they’ll be able to make informed decisions, guide their peers, and be better qualified for opportunities that come their way. And it will make your job as a manager more fulfilling. As a business owner, you’re looking at it a little differently. You are not necessarily preparing them to take over for you (but that may be the case someday); what you’re really doing is preparing them to help you succeed in whatever business you own. This will make you more efficient and a better boss. 1. Teach Them to Network This is so important. I have been networking for a long time (too long!) and this essential skill has helped me to grow many businesses including my own. Even if you dread the events, even if you find them terribly awkward, force yourself to attend. You will learn how to make connections with strangers, confidently initiate conversations, and ask for something you need or want. And these are key skills for leaders at any level. That is why, as a manager, you must teach your employees how to effectively network as soon as possible. When they progress into leadership roles, they’ll already have valuable contacts, plus the people skills needed to succeed. If you struggle with this as a manager, or you need a company-wide networking lesson, click here. 2. Give Them the Right Experience As you give out projects and assignments, give some thought to the unique duties you have as a manager. These are the skills that your employees may not know but should if they want to move up within the organization. Then, find ways for your employees to start gaining experience in these areas. 3. Allow Them to Struggle a Little When an employee needs help with a task, he or she typically comes to you, so you can either take over or provide the information that they need to accomplish the task. But when you’re coaching your employees to become leaders, I’ve found that it’s more beneficial to push them to figure out how to get what they need on their own. This doesn’t mean you leave them alone; it just means that little by little you allow your employees to take on more responsibility in figuring it out by asking them questions that will make them think and hopefully solve it by themselves. 4. Be a Mentor As you’re helping your employees gain leadership skills, you’ll likely take on a mentor-mentee relationship with them. And this natural progression is a very beneficial tool to continue honing their leadership skills. Seek out opportunities to meet with your employees one-on-one to talk about their goals, ideas they want to implement, or any struggles they’re facing. Your advice will provide valuable insight and encouragement. 5. Create an Ownership Mentality Most importantly, you can coach people in leadership day after day, but they won’t actually use those skills unless they feel like a trusted, valued part of the company. Think about it: If you teach your employees how to make smart, informed decisions, but still require that they run every idea by you before they’re allowed to make a move, how empowered will they feel? Creating an ownership mentality starts with trusting your employees and giving them the authority to make certain decisions. This can also mean listening to and implementing some of their ideas. As you create these five skills as part of your normal routine, and you make your employees feel like integral parts of the company, you will see who naturally rises to the occasion and emerges as leaders. What are entrepreneurship characteristics? It’s an important question when you’re considering self-employment. It’s natural to want to know if you have what it takes before you move forward.
Ask yourself these important questions: Are You a Visionary? A primary difference between an employee and an entrepreneur is motivation. Some people are perfectly happy doing the same job or working in the same industry until retirement. They find the consistency comforting, but for others, it’s not enough. Entrepreneurs see new or better ways of doing things and won’t settle for the status quo if it ignores a gap in the marketplace or performs less than optimally. This drive for innovation and change can get them in trouble in a traditional job since their bosses may misinterpret their ideas as criticism. Entrepreneurs are often outspoken, opinionated, and demanding. Entrepreneurs can’t understand why others don’t see their vision and they crave success in many ways, including a better work/life balance.  Sports and business have a lot in common. It doesn’t matter what sport you play; the objective is to win. Similarly, it doesn’t matter what kind of business you operate, you want to win. Winning in sports could mean ending with the most points or arriving at a destination faster than the rest. In the business world, winning might be outselling a competitor or having world-class customer service. Parallels exist at the leadership level in sports and business. A great coach is often synonymous with a great team. Comparably, outstanding businesses are commonly led by exceptional leaders. What great leaders do differently
Although some leaders make success appear effortless, businesses don’t just become successful by accident. It’s the leader’s vision that not only puts the game in play but keeps the momentum going. Great leaders know how to scout talent. Sure, they may delegate the talent search to a member of their team (i.e., human resources), but they do so with a strong list of criteria they are looking for in each candidate. Leaders are looking to fill roles, but not just any ordinary person will do - - they want the “one.” Even after hiring the right person to fill a role, great leaders aim to fully develop those team members. They aren’t satisfied with the status quo; they know the success of the team is contingent upon the successful development of individuals. Positioning Filling roles is only part of the equation. After finding the right people, great leaders make sure to position their team members in a way that results in the best outcomes. Observing Like a coach watching a tactical play, great leaders are always observing the flow of business and keeping an eye out for opportunities for improvement or growth. They recognize areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. They are continuously analyzing whether the best strategy is a complete overhaul of a team or to simply swap out one aspect of the process. Communicating It’s one thing for a leader to be able to communicate with team members. It’s something else entirely to teach team members how to effectively communicate with each other. Clear communication is imperative in sports and business. However, communication doesn’t always come naturally. Therefore, great leaders will set expectations for communication by modeling good communication on their end. Great leaders know no one gets anywhere by expecting people to read minds. Motivating You’d be hard-pressed to hear a coach telling a team “This game is no big deal,” or a business leader saying: “This client doesn’t really matter.” Coaches and business leaders won’t disregard any role as unimportant or irrelevant; they will tell each player the expectation for performance. Motivation doesn’t always need to be a loud, inspirational pep talk. Many great leaders quietly motivate their team. Team members of great leaders know the walk is always more important than the talk. Becoming A Great Leader You don’t need to be the coach of a championship sports team to be an outstanding leader; you can be a great leader in business. In fact, all you really need is to keep your focus on the fact that great leaders are always surrounded by great teams who look up to them, trust them, and know trust is a two-way street. Great leaders scout talent to fill roles, position, and reposition, observe and analyze, communicate, and motivate. Think like a great leader, act like a great leader, and your team will see you as a great leader. |
Boost Your BusinessMaria NovakI have over 35 years' experience in Marketing Small Businesses. Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
|
|
Copyright © 2025 Maria L. Novak Marketing Solutions & Business Development
|
|
Award Winning Newsletter & Email Marketing Services
|