When you’re a boss, there is a struggle between getting work done and sounding too bossy – and we’ve all hated being stuck in that conflict. When you have authority over your team, it is essential to remember that you are also responsible towards them.
You Work Together
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Don’t you forget that being a boss comes with the responsibility of setting the tone at your workplace. You need to remember that your team works with you and not for you. Not only is it necessary to emphasize on this fact, but also to ensure that your actions follow suit. For instance, ask them about the status of work and reiterate on the importance of their contribution towards timely completion of the project without sounding threatening.
You Listen
Every now and then, it is important to sit down with your team and get to know their thoughts on the ongoing projects, management style and other operational agendas if necessary. You have to heed to their feedback because their work gets affected directly. Make life easier for them, and they will make work seem easier for you. Its a win-win situation.
They Get To Choose
Put power in the hands of your team and trust them to take right decision. When you’re handing them tasks, you need to trust that they have what it takes to finish that job in the best way possible. Show them that you believe in their capabilities fully. Don’t hover or manipulate their decisions in any way if you truly want to be a good boss. It shows that you value them and abilities.
Encourage Them
A great boss knows that as important it is to highlight and celebrate your employees’ success, it is just as critical to grab a chair and talk them out of their funk when they fail to perform admirably. Help them set their own professional goals and guide them towards achieving them. Let your team know that you’ll be there standing with them in times of success and failure. A good boss will always help them do better and be better.
Treat Them How You’d Like To Be Treated
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Get them a cup of coffee sometimes. Greet them ‘Good Morning’ like you mean it. Ask them about their day and what will they do later to unwind. An employee is also a person out of the workplace. Everything outside the workplace also directly affects their performance. It is easy to turn a side-eye to their problems, but it isn’t what a good boss would do. The smart thing to do would be to help them out without getting personally involved.
While doing all this, be transparent in your approach. Don’t lose your temper in the face of disappointment. Be polite and use a constructive tone of voice instead of asserting authority over them. All in all, remind yourself that being a ‘boss’ is just a title. You’re a leader and act like the leader of a team would.
