Ask anyone who has ever been employed, and they will undoubtedly have a wealth of management horror stories that will make your hair curl. Maybe you have too? And that is why you are finding yourself wondering how not to behave as a boss and how to create a healthy working environment within your own company.
While your employees are there to work for you, of course, there is no need to make life difficult for them, and studies have shown that when employees feel respected and are treated well, they repay this in their work.
So if you want to be the boss whose employees will go the extra mile for, working on your Leadership skills will serve you well as you build your company.
How to be a better boss
Be clear and consistent.
If employees know what is expected of them and how they are expected to work each and every day, they will work within these guidelines rather than if you keep changing the goalposts and deadlines on them. Think hard about what works best for your company and refrain from changing how you want people to work on a whim without thinking through how it will impact your workforce.
Empathy
Yes, people are here to do a job, but they also have lives and other commitments outside of work. The American hustle culture and expectations of people working long days without extra pay aren’t conducive to a productive workforce. They will result in an unhealthy working environment and a high staff turnover.
So pay attention to your employees’ lives, offer flexibility where you can, and appreciate that they have a life to live outside of your walls too.
Don't Micromanage
Being the boss means you are likely to be pretty adept at most things in your company yourself. After all, that's how you got it where you are. But by doing everything yourself, you are likely to combust with too much on your plate. This is why you have employees.
Effective delegating is the sign of a good boss, as is refraining from micromanaging everything. Trust your employees know what needs to be done, and they have the skills to get the job done. Because that is what you are paying them for. Monitor performance by all means from a distance and with a beneficial interest to keep an eye out for mistakes or errors if need be.
Mentor
Don't dictate, mentor. There are always times you can teach people, and they can teach you during the working week. Try to use times when people are unsure as teaching money where you can impart your own wisdom and explain why this method works or ask for others’ input to improve services or ways of working etc.
By involving your employees in making decisions about how they work or allowing them a more inclusive learning culture, they will likely improve their efficiency and productivity due to them being confident in their own skills and knowing if they have any concerns, you will be on hand to assist them.
