How To Become A Better Boss

Consider, if you will, how bosses have been portrayed in our culture over the last half-century. Television shows, movies, cartoons, many of them depicted the boss as this cruel tyrant whose favorite phrase seemed to be "You're fired!". It's a stereotype, sure, but one that some people's experience would tell you is a justified one.

Times have changed, and slowly the image of the unreasonable, inflexible taskmaster has eroded. Sure, that type of boss hasn't gone away, not by a long shot. And there are still movies, and tv shows that have depicted those less than ideal managers, such as Office Space, The Office, and of course Horrible Bosses, and they still resonate with the average working stiff.

But since we can all benefit from a change, here are some ways that you can become a better boss.

A good boss is willing to entertain other people's ideas and try them out if they have potential.

Be Open To Change
As mentioned earlier, change is slowly happening. Bosses need to be open and accepting of cultural transformations, since it's becoming apparent to many businesses that a sustainable corporate culture is crucial in fostering and maintaining long-term growth. Often that means making adjustments to a corporation's current cultural norms. "Because we've always done it this way" is losing its power as an effective counter-argument.

Trust Your Employees
Here's a news flash: no one likes to work with someone looking over their shoulder. Furthermore, in a related note, most of us don't like to be micro-managed. A good boss trusts his or her employees to go off and do the jobs they were hired to do, and to do them well and without constant supervision.

If a boss' lack of trust stems from concerns that the employee's skills aren't up to the task, then maybe someone else should handle the job, and the worker in question delegated to do something less challenging.

Use Your Employees' Time Wisely
Picture a department that's fallen behind in their work through no fault of their own. Then a new issue comes along, and the boss needs to address the entire group. Instead of just grabbing everyone for a quick word at the boss' desk (or an "aisle meeting"), the boss books a conference room sends out a meeting notification, troops everyone into the room, and spends a half hour covering something that would have only taken five minutes in different circumstances. Meanwhile, the overworked and falling further behind employees are slowly getting frustrated and furious.

That IS an actual example, by the way. Bosses need to realize that, though they are in charge, time is a valuable resource that shouldn't be wasted on superfluous matters.

Be Careful How You Impress The Higher-Ups
While employees try to stay in their bosses' good graces, the latter are also doing something similar, trying to impress THEIR bosses. To some misguided managers, this entails being extra tough and demanding on subordinates to show the big suits just how no-nonsense and professional they are.

Don't do this. Making your employees miserable so that upper management sees you as strong and tough is hideous. The only thing it will accomplish is bad morale and a high turnover.

Treat Your Employees As Humans, Not As Resources
Finally, keep this last point in mind. Customers favor shopping at businesses that treat them like people. Employees respond better when bosses do the same to them. Listen to them when they have an idea or want to discuss a problem. Praise employees when they're doing a good job.

Bottom line, no one's suggesting that bosses should coddle their employees, or look the other way when things are going badly. But there's a difference between being a leader and being an overlord. Choose "leader".

For more insights into being a good boss, read "The Good Boss and the Bad Boss: Motivation and How to Create It."