Authored by Tanya Nusser in Business Management
Published on 07-23-2009
Most of us have encountered the evil boss who loves to make our lives a living nightmare at least once in our career. Nobody wants to work for a person who enjoys making life miserable for their employees. As a matter-of-fact, studies show that the number one reason employees leave a job is because they do not like their boss or they do not feel like their boss is giving them the respect they deserve. This leads to constant turn around in employees, which can also lead to poor office productivity. If an employer wants his or her staff to respond in a positive manner, taking the friendly approach works much better than the slave driver type personality. You don’t have to become the office pushover to be a respected boss. With a few tweaks to your routine, you can create a more pleasant work environment for everyone.
If you want to have productive employees, you are going to need to learn how to become a friendly boss. Now, this is not to say that the boss has to be everyone’s friend, but being friendly to your employees will get you far by way of productivity and peace in the workplace. Simply smiling is a great way to gain the trust and respect from employees. If they only way a employee gets your attention is when there are negative issues, they are much less likely to come to you if there is a problem. An employer is likely to find that by creating a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere in the workplace, their employee’s are much more productive than if they are in an environment where everyone is walking on eggshells in fear of always being in trouble.
Let your employees know that if there is a problem, you are there to help, not hinder the situation. Instate an “open door” policy for your employees. By being an approachable boss, you are letting your employees know that you are interested in what is going on within your environment and you are making an effort to be part of the team.
While it is obvious that in order to be a great boss, there is a fine line to walk between friendly and stern. However, the manager does not necessarily continually have to reiterate that they are the one in the position of power. Of course, there will be times when you will need to show your authority, but everyone knows you are the boss. There is no reason to constantly remind employees that you are standing over their shoulder critiquing them at every moment.
Yes, being in a position of authority is sometimes tough. However, by letting your employees know that they are each valued members of the office team and giving them the respect they want from an employer, you will not only put your employees at ease, but you will be helping to create a healthy work environment in which people will be proud to work and give their best efforts to do the best job they can.
