Be the kind of boss that everyones “loves” at work

Hating one’s boss is may be thought of as a “trend” that can be observed all across the world. It’s something all of us do at some point in our careers (or rather, almost all points in our career). Though this love-hate relationship might seem like a routine affair, it cannot be denied that this hampers your subordinates’ productivity.

A happy workforce who likes their job and work environment is more efficient and has a higher retention rate. People who are not happy with their work environment are more likely to either slog on without being fully productive or just leave. In either case, this turns into more cost for the company and less productivity for your tea

As a manager, it is very important to understand your team and bring them together to work as a unit and make them feel you are as much part of that unit and not just someone sitting on top of it. The following tips are surely going to prove helpful as you work on your managerial skills:

1. Know It: Most of the times, superiors do not really seem to care about knowing what their subordinates think of them. That’s the first place where managers go wrong. Learn to interpret any withdrawal or “hate” signs your team is giving you and act upon them well in time. Else, matters will just slip out of your hands and your skill set as a manager would be under scrutiny.

2. Help people identify with Management goals: Sometimes we assign our teammates more work than they think they could take or finish within a deadline. This will surely irk most people and spread like a virus in the rest of the team within no time. Before that happens, take time to explain to them why the company needs them to work in such a way. This will help them identify with the goals of the management and encourage them to finish the task at hand with enthusiasm

3. A team that stays together stays motivated: If your team is required to work on a weekend or a holiday or additional hours, stay with them. If you’re at home relaxing while your team slogs away, then you’re the guy who gave them work to do and ran off to relax. Don’t be that Guy!!! Be the guy who assigned them work that needed to finish in odd hours and yet stayed with them and encouraged them and kept their motivation levels higher.

4. Stop taking credit for others’ work: This is one thing anyone in the world would absolutely hate. As a manager, you’ve got to be forthright and fair. You need to know that shining the spotlight on your team’s achievements not only keeps them motivated but also highlights your strengths as a manager in front of your superiors. So build your team up and give them the appreciation they deserve.

5. Establish a personal connect: In the employee world, a good boss is known from a bad one in the way they make their employees feel. For your professional connect to work, you have to connect with your team personally too. The first rule of thumb here is not forgetting people’s names, no matter how large the size of your team is. Also take time to know people personally and understand their problems when they try to explain them to you. This will trigger a two-way communication channel between you and your team members and they will also start understanding your thought process behind work assignments, deadlines and targets.

6. Lead by example: Good bosses are good role models for their team. Its analogous with the “Follow the Leader” game we used to play when we were kids. You are the one who needs to build dedication, hard work and motivation in the team by practicing it yourself. Encourage your team to become self-starters and accelerators rather than being dependent upon you to assign them work. Urge them to come up with their own ideas and appreciate their efforts and value-additions.

7. Yelling is not the appropriate way of giving feedback: As a manager, you need to have your team’s back. And this holds as much for average performers as it does for the excellent performers. When you throw your team under the bus, you’re not only being the bad guy in their eyes but also being a weak manager in your superiors’ eyes. Understand the difference between the impact of shouting on someone who made a mistake and giving him or her constructive feedback on how to avoid that mistake in future.

Be a good leader, and that will help you be a good manager.