Bosses’ Week – a good time to reflect on what your boss does right

Bosses get a lot of advice from their managers and a fair amount of criticism from their employees. In fact, it seems many of us think we know how to do their jobs much better than they do; that is, until we actually get the job. What bosses don't get is much credit for what they do RIGHT.  Bosses’ Day was October 16.  Did you take some time to reflect on what you appreciate about your boss?

Forget for a moment your pet gripe or chief criticism and think about some of the things you like about your manager.  Who knows, you may see more of them!

Do you recognize your boss here?

• The time you really blew it and she helped to bail you out with a customer.
• The night he stayed late and listened as you ranted and raved about your teenager.
• The Fridays he brings doughnuts.
• The encouragement she gave you before your first big speech.
• The project he assigned to you because he wanted to give you visibility with top management.
• The time he told you about a new job opening up in another area because he knew you'd want to apply for it.
• When he jumped to your defense in a meeting and supported your point.
• How he listened to your wacky idea and ended up implementing it.
• How he asked about your mother's operation and really cared about your answer.
• How he spreads the unpleasant tasks fairly between your co-workers and doesn't hesitate to do some of them himself.
• The time she bought you a box of candy for helping her finish a big project that took extra effort on your part.
• The assignments he gave you because you wanted more experience in that area.
• During cutbacks, he shared everything he knew and kept the team informed.
• The way he let you use a flexible schedule when your child was sick with the mumps.
• The time he worked with your co-worker to clean up her attendance record so the rest of you didn't have to pull her weight.
• The way she openly and honestly told you about the weaknesses that were holding you back and offered to help you overcome them.
• He makes it a point of showing up at picnics and parties and joining in the fun.
• She is organized and knows how to help you set priorities.
• How he treats employees like fellow team members rather than "subordinates."
• The time he went to battle with his boss to get the new equipment the group needed.
• The way he delegates and supports rather than delegates and dumps.
• The way he asks the group for input on problems, rather than mandating his solution.

If your boss has done some things that you appreciate, why not tell him or her? Managers need to hear good things about their performance as much as we do.  And please email me stories about your best boss mailto:info@joanlloyd.com, Your good examples may find their way into a future article.

Good managers know that employee satisfaction is essential to healthy teamwork, initiative and productivity.  Based on an in-depth study of the most innovative ideas in creating a culture where employees thrive, our recruiting & retention tools have all the secrets you will need to find and keep the best employees.

Creative Recruiting & Retention Strategies
Recruiting & Retention Booklet Series (Includes Joan’s booklet, 86 Creative Ideas for Having More Fun & Less Stress at Work)