Ten Tips to Becoming a Better Boss
Sharon Feltham, Excellerate
What
51% of New Zealand workers are unhappy with their jobs. According to the NZ results of the Seek Survey of Employee Satisfaction and Motivation key factors leading to the lack of this job satisfaction are related to management issues:
69% state that their management is not inspiring trust
63% do not believe that their management responds to suggestions and criticism
62% do not believe that their management is open and honest
62% say that their management does not provide regular feedback
60% state that management is not listening to employees.
Employees rated each of the six management indicators lower than the previous year's survey.
In addition, managers judged their own managers lower on almost every aspect compared to the employee average. Managers rated their managers lowest on their ability 'to follow up their words with action', and on their 'ability to provide regular feedback'.
In the UK In the US a Florida State University survey found that two out of every five bosses are dishonest and more than a quarter badmouth their employees.
So What
People don’t leave jobs they leave bosses and poor managers create problems for their employees and their companies:
Poor employee poor morale leads to lost productivity and increased turnover.
High turnover creates increased stress other employees and adds to recruitment costs.(It costs approximately one and half times the salary to replace an employee)
The NZ study also revealed that 2200 participants stated the quality of management is the most important job factor when looking for a job
Now What
The judges of the
UK Working Families Best Boss competition compiled the following tips from conversations with bosses nominated Britain's Best Boss competitions
Put your trust in people: be as open as possible and be prepared to take risks sometimes.
Treat people as individuals: get to know them and be open to listening to their concerns as well as their ideas.
Deal with individual concerns and disciplinary issues promptly - the whole team will respect you for this.
Set objectives that have clear outcomes and keep careful records if you have any concerns about an individual's ability to manage flexible working effectively. If they fail to deliver, then you are justified in refusing another request until they demonstrate their capabilities.
It's OK to say 'no' to flexible working sometimes, for example, if there are issues around performance or there is a genuinely negative impact on operational needs.
Make sure your communications are effective and hold regular team meetings.
Treat people as you would want to be treated - think back to your own experiences, both positive and negative, of managers that have supervised you.
Keep people fresh and motivated by promoting training and development opportunities.
Remember to give credit where it is due and celebrate successes. Hold regular individual reviews.
Delegate responsibility - not always easy at first, but by putting your trust in people, they will become more engaged in the work. Your task will become easier, freeing you up to get on with the big picture stuff.
Answers in your Inbox
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