by Ben Sissom

Created on: January 08, 2011   Last Updated: January 09, 2011

Being a good boss is similar to being a good parent. It takes preparing, encouraging and disciplining your employees to help them excel and be the very best that they can be in that role. Listening to the needs of your employees is the best way to be a good boss.  All employees are different in respect to their motivators, goals and strengths.

How to be a good boss by preparing employees is listening to them about their history, education, dreams and goals in life as well as the workplace.  This leadership skill will further your relationship since you can focus on what will make them the best employee for you, and how to keep them motivated by using their strengths.

Some employees are content with their current occupation and only want occasional challenges through projects. This doesn’t make for a bad employee, but a very consistent one that can be rejuvenated by allowing them to lead projects on a consistent basis without changing their entire work atmosphere.  You will need to check in with this type of employee to make sure when they are ready for more challenges and growth that you welcome it with new opportunities that will fit their strengths.

Some employees need a boss that will encourage their growth within a particular department, and preparing them while they are in their current role is always beneficial. It allows for moderate growth while maintaining the safety of their present emplacement.  A good boss will want their employees to succeed due to the training that they have provided for them while in their current role. If a company consistently promotes from a particular manager it is viewed from upper management as a positive towards that manager or department that they are able to develop strong employees who are capable of bigger challenges.

How to be a good boss is by encouraging all employees to learn more, dig deeper and to be happy in life and at work.  In today’s world we spend more time in the office or out in the field than we do with our families so being happy is very important. Being a boss who encourages his/her employees performs this task by asking them  to read the latest article relating to their industry, signing them up for classes that can build on their strengths and promoting that they join cross functional teams within the organization. All of these ways can encourage an employee to stay focused and motivated in their role, and within the organization.

How to be a good boss by discipline them doesn’t mean yelling or screaming at them over every small error. It means discipline them into their role, or their minds to reach outside the box for potential answers. Bosses that discipline their employees to believe in themselves, encourages them to be better educated, and more self sufficient are successful over the long term versus bosses that put their thumb down on employees. Freedom with guidance is the best way to manage, just as it is the best way to parent.

How to be a bad boss is by putting your employees in a box, and being too scared for them to succeed or pass you on the organizational chart. To ignore strengths, and not watch for personal motivating factors for each one will result in dullness in the workplace, a lack of motivation and ultimately turnover within your organization.  

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