Here’s what I’m picturing: You worked hard to land a good job. Once there, you worked even harder, proving yourself as the ideal employee. In fact, you’ve done such excellent work that your employer has now made you a boss. New title, new responsibilities, (hopefully) new money, . . . and the power to tell other people what to do (get my coffee, shine my shoes, do ten push-ups).
Actually, you probably already know that being a leader is mostly what you do for other people—not to them. If you want to grow in your job and be as good a boss as you were a lowly worker, you’ll have to work harder than ever. Here are five ways to be a good boss.
1. Be Fair
Each of us has a built-in justice meter—it instantly tells us if we’re being treated unfairly. If we sense any kind of injustice against us—favoritism, backstabbing, partiality, discrimination-
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a red light in our brain starts blinking, and we cry out, “That’s not fair!”
If you’re an unfair boss, most workers will hesitate telling you; they fear that you’ll attribute their complaint to jealousy on their part, rather than favoritism on yours. Instead, they’ll hold grudges, gossip and complain to each other, and fight with each other to attain your favor. It’s a big mess.
If you’re a fair boss, workers will stop worrying about “getting what they deserve” and concentrate on doing a good job. OK, so you’ll still have a few problems from workers with tweaked justice meters. You can’t have everything.
When you’re the boss, people count on you to uphold justice. That’s a full-time job because injustice can creep in anywhere. Pay attention to the following areas.
Praises
If someone does something right, praise her. But if two people are worthy of praise and you neglect one of them, you’re being unfair—and the neglected person knows it. It’s like when your mother praises your little brother but fails to see much good in you. After a while, you just give up trying to please her and turn your attention toward putting your little brother in the clothes dryer. That strategy doesn’t work on the job site (unless you happen to work at a laundry). Be quick to praise your workers—but make sure that you’re praising all who deserve it.
Hours and Positions
Some people are professional manipulators, always getting the hours they want without alerting you to what they’re doing. When you make decisions on jobs and hours, do so with a list of everyone in front of you. You’ll be able to spot whether someone always seems to get a much better deal.
Looks and Dress
It’s true—the good-looking people of the world get the most attention. It’s not a romantic thing, just human nature. They’re more pleasant to be around so you give them more of your time, attention, compliments, help, and kindness. If you want to be a fair boss, pay close attention to your attentions. Affirm people for who they are, encourage them in what they do. Forget what theylook like.
2.Be Big
As a kid, if I found a scary bug in my room that I was too frightened to kill, my dad would always come in and do the job. He never cleaned my room or made the bed, but he could be counted upon to squash the scary bugs. Now I have my own house, and I can’t call him up for an execution anymore (OK, I tried once, but the bug crawled away before his plane landed). It’s my job now; it comes with the territory.
When you’re a boss you’ve got to be big sometimes. People are looking for a leader, and you’re it. That means squashing bugs, stopping fights, making impossible decisions, and fixing other people’s mistakes. That’s one of the reasons why you’re getting paid more than they are. Look around you and try to find some tasks that won’t get done unless you’re big enough to do them.
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Posted by: arlene
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