During your time working for different companies or initiatives, you’ve probably been managed by a fair few people. In this time, you have likely seen bosses of all kinds and calibres. Some were no doubt great at what they did. Others, less so. While it can sometimes seem as though a poor management style is a result of a bad personality (and perhaps you may even be right in this), it’s unlikely to be the sole cause. After all, even the most welcoming person in the world can still be a bad manager if they’re not careful.
As such, it’s important to try and do your best when in charge of other people and their careers. Sure, you’re paying them to work for you, and that’s totally fair, but you also do have a kind of duty to their wellbeing at work, and if you wish them to stay, helping them chart their future with your company is also a good idea.
So – how can you become the “right kind” of boss, especially if you’re trying to be one for the first time? In this post, we’ll discuss all of that and more:
Seek Additional Training Or Aid When Necessary
It’s easy for bosses or managers to think that because they’ve secured a desirable position, or have managed to open their own initiative, they need little education on how to develop. Sure, a millionaire might not need lessons on financial management if they’ve managed to sustain their position, but they can always benefit from doing so. A boss that is proactive about learning, keeping up with the trends of their industry, adopting the ideal of the best HR service, and formats their approach for the future is a dynamic and exciting boss to work for.
Consider Your Own Experience
Bring some of your past experience to the role – what was it that the poor managers seemed to lack? Understanding that is not always easy, but it will make a profound difference in how you apply your strategy. Perhaps your past boss felt it necessary to micromanage everything you did, giving you no breathing room or autonomy, and it made you believe that you were unable to do anything. Perhaps you can keep that in mind and take an observant, but worthwhile delegation approach.
Try Not To Focus On Being Liked
Trying to be liked is completely opposite to just being likable. Remember you’re not there to be best friends with your employees, because you might need to discipline them appropriately, but you can be friendly. A boss that doesn’t seek to win your approval every day is a boss that you end up respecting and won’t mind working for – especially when the praise they do give is justified and feels earned. There are two extremes here of course, so try and find a healthy place in the middle.
With this advice, we hope you can become the ‘right kind’ of boss, in the best possible light. Remember – it’s a learning and growing process, you don’t have to be perfect from day one, like many of your new staff won’t be.
