To become a highly effective boss, embrace the following four habits:
1. Focus on improvement. Although it’s tempting to only scrutinize the numbers when measuring a company’s progress, qualitative matters count. Look at how employees try to boost their efficiency or learn from past mistakes.
Creating successful employees involves managing them as people, not as numbers or assets. The level of sales a department brings in doesn’t necessarily reflect all the work employees do and their efforts.
2. Be available to employees. Don’t just tell employees what to do; be approachable when employees need help. Promote transparent communication and position management as a resource to employees.
Welcome employee feedback and encourage staffers to ask questions. Demonstrate that employees’ queries and comments are listened to.
3. Help employees accomplish their goals. Extraordinary bosses focus on the success achieved by every employee. Instead of trying to create a few rock star employees, effective bosses want each individual to achieve results.
Effective bosses also ensure that every employee sets up goals to support the company’s progress as a whole. Encourage employees at every level to use their talents to help the entire team achieve more success. This way, no one is left behind and each employee can reach his or her highest potential.
4. Be a coach and supporter. Don’t assume employees know how to do everything. Leadership in the workplace is about helping employees grow, improve and succeed.
Coaching employees can be effective because a boss gives real-time feedback and guidance. Research by Towers Watson shows highly engaged employees receive feedback from management regularly.
If employees are struggling in a certain area, step in and guide them. Sometimes employees can become easily overwhelmed by a new project, so don’t hesitate to lend support.
Management effectiveness can determine a company’s success. Great bosses make employees want to stay at their jobs, while bad ones prompt them to leave.
via Join the League of Extraordinary Bosses: 4 Habits to Cultivate.
