Monday June 6, 2005 Being a boss WINNING WAYS BY DATIN T.D. AMPIKAIPAKAN
WHY are bosses insensitive and uncaring? A reader e-mailed me this question. The word 'boss' usually conjures up all sorts of feelings, unfortunately mostly negative, in the minds of people in the business world.
The general feedback is that bosses are usually bad mannered, moody and uncaring. Of course this is not all true; there are great bosses but unfortunately, they are few and far between.
I discussed this with some bosses and they too, have their grievances: their staff does not have the responsibilities which they have and most of the time, they have to clean up the mess made by their staff.
The bosses say some workers are unwilling to learn new skills and do not learn from their mistakes. They are clock-watchers and grumble when asked to put in more time at work. Many staff assumes that overtime payments and bonuses are their rights and not a reward for their effort. They develop bad attitudes and when passed over for promotions due to their incompetence, write anonymous letters to the senior management about their bosses. Many have no work ethics but gossip regularly. This list goes on.
The bosses' complaints aside, it must be noted that their "position and status" gives them an edge over the other staff. They have the "ear" of the senior management and if it comes to a choice between the boss and the subordinate, the boss wins hands down.
What bosses seldom realise is that they do have a greater responsibility than just doing their job. They are responsible for maintaining the morale of the office and this skill is not learnt in business school.
Being a great boss means showing the way: you give credit where it is due, you defend your staff when they need it, you encourage them when they feel de-motivated and above all, you set an example on how to treat people from the lowest level in the hierarchy to the top.
If you want to be a good boss, look at the following list and tick off the criteria you think you possess. Even better, and if you dare, give the list to your staff and let them tick off those that describe you.
A successful boss knows the importance of team effort and his role as its leader. He or she:
a.. Uses the pronoun "we" instead of "I" when representing his department or team.
a.. Sets an example for the staff in office behaviour.
a.. Runs meetings efficiently, calls for them only when necessary, pays attention to the agenda and adheres to the protocol of meetings.
a.. Ensures that staff is given the most suitable atmosphere for work.
a.. Knows how to motivate employees so that they give their best.
a.. Exercises good manners within and outside the office.
a.. Discourages harmful rumours and plays a defensive role when it comes to office gossip.
a.. Has a keen sense of savoir faire (ability to say or do the right or graceful thing) to enhance and maintain the image of the organisation.
a.. Understands protocol, adheres by its rules and understands deference to people of senior rank.
a.. Has excellent telephone, cellular, e-mail and fax manners and is constantly teaching his staff the importance of communication courtesy. Encourages his employees to have a career path by pursuing further education and training.
a.. Shows compassion for employees and helps them solve problems either by mentoring or counselling.
a.. Understands that some employees have better written skills while others have better oral ones, and is able to get them to do what they are good at.
a.. Allows a forum for the staff to exchange ideas and make complaints. He knows that given the right environment, the staff will give helpful ideas which will build the morale of the department.
a.. Makes the support staff feel important to the company and constantly encourages and challenges them to do more.
a.. Is a great coach and knows how to teach his staff ways to deal with customers. He will not hesitate to mentor staff that shows promise.
a.. When mistakes are made, the employee is criticised in private and told exactly what was wrong. This calls for both communication and human skills as the employee must be reassured that he/she is still of great value to the company.
a.. Understands the importance of social etiquette in the business world.
a.. Has a sense of humour. When executives have bad bosses, one would think that they would in turn be great bosses but the reverse seems to be true. The statement "I've had a bad time with my bosses, so now it's my turn to take revenge" appears to be the order of the day.
Bosses will soon have to face the fact that the new breed of executives believes in their intellect and will not put up with bosses who have lost the plot. They want bosses who know how to challenge and channel them towards greater achievements.
To all bosses who live in the old world, please remember this line by comedy writer Gene Perret: "Don't get carried away with your own importance. Remember that the pied piper was a leader just because he knows how to play a flute."
