How To Become A Better Boss – Whether you’re the head of a company or running a start-up, being a manager or a boss is not an easy job. Looking for ways to better lead your team? Follow these tips to be a better boss.
No one sets out to be a bad boss. They automatically become irrelevant. If you’ve been in the industry for more than a couple of years, you’ll hear a story about a bad boss or see a story of your own. Just like your car needs its 30,000-mile or 3-year maintenance check, maybe it’s time to test your connection before a major failure occurs.
How To Become A Better Boss
1. Take a couple of Communications Classes
Even if you’ve never been afraid of being the center of attention or speaking in front of a crowd, taking some communication classes will help you become a stronger, more effective, and more efficient speaker. You’ll learn techniques like speech practice before big meetings, and many communication classes ask you to record yourself to see how you sound and sound during a speech.
2. Spend Time With Employees
Don’t be invisible. Make sure you spend time with your employees. According to research by leadership and training company Leadership IQ, employees should spend about 6 hours a week with their boss if they want to be more inspired, motivated, engaged, and innovative.
3. Treat Each Employee as a Colleague
John Satie, CEO of Decision Lens, tells Entrepreneur that you need to “treat every employee as a colleague and turn the management structure upside down.” He also says that “if you’ve got a good job, company leaders are there to meet the talents and needs of your employees, not the other way around.”
4. Have Reasonable Objectives
Reduce frustration, confusion, and general chaos in the company by setting appropriate goals. At Inc.com, Kevin Daum recommends that you “assess your team and eliminate manageable workloads. Set the right number of clear goals and deliver on them to win the team over and gain trust.” Encourage fulfillment.”
5. Lighten Up
There’s no doubt that the workplace can be a stressful environment, especially when deadlines loom. So why not balance out that stress by giving your team a chance to have fun? This is what companies like Google have been doing for years. Between free food, transportation to work, extended hours, and being allowed to bring dogs into the office, it’s no wonder people love working at Google.
If you want your employees to be happier and more productive at work, light up the workplace.
6. Realize Employees Have a Life Outside of Work
While you certainly want — and deserve — your team members’ full attention, you also have to recognize that they live outside the company. And you want them! Happy employees are more engaged and this results in lower turnover. If a previously great employee starts to struggle, take the time to ask them what’s going on. You may notice that they have a problem at home that is affecting their work.
7. Identify Your Weaknesses
A successful leader must recognize his weaknesses. For example, if you’re not a great public speaker, how can you communicate what you want to employees or inform them of the latest market trends? Identify your weaknesses and improve the effort if you want your team to succeed.
8. Don’t Unleash Your Anger on Employees
We all have frustrating days when nothing goes as planned. When this happens, it’s very easy to lose your temper. Take a deep breath, take a walk—whatever you do, don’t take that anger out on your employees. Yelling, cursing, or even hurting your employees will make you fearful or angry – and that’s not how to build a team. As Jeffrey James of Inc.com says, “Your employees are not your wallet.”
9. Realize You Don’t Have to Solve Every Problem
As the boss, it’s up to you to be the problem solver. Here’s the thing – you don’t have to solve every problem. If you know an employee or team member who can handle a situation, by all means, accept their help. This will make your company better and stronger in the long run.
10. Don’t Talk, Listen
You have a lot of talent on your team – that’s why you hired them in the first place. So, don’t be so quick to dismiss their ideas. Even though you’re the boss and have plenty of advice to share, give team members a chance to share their thoughts and ideas. This helps build teamwork, and you can be inspired by their fresh perspective.
11. Be Authentic
When you want to spend time with your employees, don’t try to be someone you’re not. Employees can tell when you’re being unreasonable. They’ll respect you more and buy into the culture you’re building, and help you build your company if you stay on your own.
12. Guide With Strategic Questions
Strategic thinkers use critical questions to advance their discussions and cases. With a well-planned series of questions, you as a leader can encourage groups or individuals to reconsider their decisions or recommendations without directly challenging their views or stating your position beforehand ( which discourages team members from thinking for themselves).
The beauty of this approach to team meetings? Once voiced, people buy your data and arguments as soon as the answer to your question appears.
Asking important strategic questions—even if not a new idea—builds team members’ confidence as well as expertise.
13. Become a Coach, Not a Critic
If you’ve ever played sports, you know how you react to prejudice on the sidelines or in the stands: a critic in the stands makes you feel like an idiot. An on-site coach will motivate you to perform at your best.
Conclusion
These are the best way you can become a better boss. Implement these strategies and see the way your subordinates will be happy to have you as their boss. Thank you for reading!
Frequently Asked Question(s)
What makes a good boss better?
A great boss is someone who inspires their employees to be their best selves. They should be able to identify their employees’ best qualities and bring them out. Additionally, they should pinpoint growth opportunities, share them in a constructive manner and help develop a plan for improvement.
What makes a poor boss?
Signs of a bad manager are undesirable leadership traits that cause friction between supervisors and employees. For example, micromanagement, conflict avoidance, and credit-stealing.
What makes a great boss?
A great boss creates an environment based on integrity, trust, respect — and one that encourages feedback, innovation, and creativity. Employees in such an atmosphere flourish.
How do I become a classy boss?
- Find ways to motivate your people.
- Communicate clearly, professionally, and often.
- Take time to develop employees and their careers.
- Delegate whatever you can, whenever you can.
- Create partnerships with your people.
- Don’t forget to acknowledge good performance.
Who are toxic bosses?
A toxic boss is a manager who demoralizes and damages the people underneath them. Their repeated, disruptive behavior drives employees to become disengaged, diminishes their sense of belonging, and takes away their autonomy and sense of purpose—all of which are vital for thriving at work.
Reference(s)
- Startupgrind.com – 15 Tips To Becoming A Better Boss
- forbes.com – How To Become A Better Boss