Three Bosses You Don’t Want to Be

Good bosses create a stronger end product. They have the talent to inspire, motivate and empower their employees to do great things. Good bosses help create a positive work environment, adding to their employees’ productivity. And then there’s bad bosses.

Bad bosses do just the opposite: they frustrate, frighten and annoy their employees. Bad bosses get in their own way by diminishing what their employees are capable of, therefore weakening the success of the company.

Consider the following poor leadership types and ways to improve on them:

The arrogant type. Arrogant bosses are chronically poor listeners. They figure they know it all and their reports should learn from their example. Or, they feel they’ve paid their dues and prefer to keep their distance from staff, issuing orders from their office. This style of boss may also follow a “do as I say, not as I do” approach, acting as if the rules do not apply to her. No matter the cause, an arrogant boss can take steps to change her ways.

    • Listen to what your employees have to say. Two minds (or four or more) are better than one! Allow your employees to do what you’ve hired them to.
    • Lead by example. Follow the rules just as closely as your employees. You just may breathe new meaning into why the rules exist in the first place.
    • Get involved. The more you understand about the process and your employees’ involvement in it, the better you’ll be at managing it.

The emotionally unstable type. Bosses of this sort can fall anywhere in the range of too nice to too nasty. These bosses can also be like ticking time bombs: employees are never sure when they’ll launch into a screaming tirade. This can be upsetting to employees, to say the least. No matter where a boss falls in the emotional spectrum, he can improve erratic behavior.

    • Don’t try to be everyone’s friend. This makes certain aspects of management difficult, such as conducting reviews or requesting deadlines. Be friendly and approachable, yet stern and professional.
    • Treat others as you’d like to be treated. The above tips apply to overly strict bosses, as well. You want to achieve a middle ground with your employees.
    • Manage stress. Avoid outbursts by taking steps to manage your stress. And by all means, leave personal matters at home.

The poor communicator. A boss who has difficulty communicating is confusing to her staff and undermines their ability to deliver exactly what she needs from them. This can be easily fixed.

    • Hold regular staff meetings. Don’t expect employees to read your mind. Clearly outline goals and assignments through regular team and one-on-one meetings.
    • Be consistent. In other words, keep the story straight. Consider writing a policies and procedures manual to help you.

By following these tips, you’ll be able to help your employees to be happier and more productive. This will help prevent employee turnover and add to the success of your business.

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