10 things the best bosses have in common

I know it’s almost a cliché but it can never be emphasized enough that people are the biggest and most important investment for any business. And whether you are the business owner, an Office Manager or Head of Department – as long as you have a team of people reporting to you, they view you as the “boss”. How do you ensure that the people that work for you enjoy reporting to you? Are you the best boss to have around?

Here are 10 ways you can become a better boss. The top 6 are taken from the book, The Entrepreneur’s Book of Checklists by Robert Ashton, and the rest are added by Ally.

1.Big ears – good bosses not only listen, they take genuine interest in their staff.

2.Long legs – be seen to be interested and involved; walk around the place, visit customers.

3.White teeth – smiling bosses make people happy. If the problem is not one your staff can help to solve, keep it to yourself.

4.Good vision – people only follow leaders who know where they’re going.

5.Tongue control – emotional responses, such as shouting and ranting have their place but not if it means humiliating your staff. Sometimes it’s best to hold your tongue.

6.Firm hand – you are the boss. You are expected to make unpopular decisions where necessary and to be firm with those who don’t pull their weight.

7.No finger pointing – a good leader takes responsibility for the outcome and performance of the business. If there is a problem, a good boss will take the full blame and not resort to finger pointing.

8.Give recognition – everyone wants to be appreciated for a good idea, a job completed within the deadline, sales that exceeds the target given and etc. The golden rule: be lavish with praises but stingy with criticisms.

9.Understanding – a good boss realizes and understands a genuine personal emergency when he sees one. A good boss will not sulk but instead provide support and relief.

10.Provide mentoring – a good boss trains, guides and develops future leaders. They desire to see their employees or team members grow in their job and would not regret and lament when they are being sought after by other employers.

As most people spend more than eight hours at their office, a great working place is an important factor for employees to consider whether their bosses are good or not. According to Robert Ashton, it need not cost the Earth for employers to provide a great place to work. Here are a few very affordable ways.

• Soft loo paper – pay the extra for the good stuff. Also make sure toilets are clean and in good working order.

• Graffiti board – why not create places for your staff to have their say, free from criticism and retribution?

• Good tools – usually the best tools cost less than the wrong tools and waste less time.

• Surprises – we all like nice surprises, for example ice cream on a hot day.

Source: Allyhunt.com