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Being a good boss doesn’t mean being the best friend of everyone you employ. You need to set professional boundaries, but you can do this without being the ogre-style boss. Being the sort of employer that your team respects, works hard for, and actually cares about is challenging. Finding the right balance is no mean feat. However, by following this simple guide, you can master the art of being the sort of boss that you would love to work for.
Communicate
The most important aspect of being a good boss is honing your communication skills. Your staff team will want to be kept in the loop of any business developments. Rather than being one of those bosses that become elusive and locked away in their office for weeks on end, get out on the proverbial shop floor and get to know your employees. Know them by name and understand the life situations that they may be going through. Janice in marketing might not be hitting her targets for the first time ever, but knowing that this might be because of her traumatic divorce might help give you some perspective.
Call a Monday morning briefing every week and ask your staff team’s views on things. New initiatives need to be developed together, rather than delivered from the top, in order to ensure business vision buy-in. Listening to your workforce will show them that you respect them and value their opinions. This boosts morale, makes them work more productively, and they will, in turn, appreciate the company that they work for.
Environment
Make sure that you facilitate a working environment that is inspiring, dynamic, and comfortable like the ones mentioned at https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/270465. Old, awkward chairs are bad for backs, old laptops are slow, and peeling paint is depressing. Whip out the white paint, give the decor a refresh, add touches of greenery, and swap the desktop booths for collaborative meeting pods. You want to foster those water-cooler moments, and you want your staff to enjoy heading into work every morning.
If you work in a more physical environment, ensure that you have the equipment to make your team’s lives easier. Head to https://cbeuptime.com/compressor-central/variable-speed/ and check out the most efficient air compressors if you manage a car spraying plant. Ensure that the forklift trucks you have are new and powerful. And ensure that any specialist components are always onsite to enable your workforce to be productive without downtime.
Perks
It may sound a little sappy but having some staff perks can boost morale and make you a great boss. Give every employee an extra day’s holiday for their birthday. Send an email out every Friday namechecking those individuals that have gone above and beyond that week. And have an employee of the month scheme. These initiatives can demonstrate that you respect your team and value their contributions to your business.
Being a decent employer is a tough challenge in the twenty-first century. Follow this guide and you can master the art of being an excellent boss.