Ms. Heydt

Human Resources, Recruitment & Training

How to Be a Good Boss... Why You Should Care

By Sandy Heydt, President, Panetiere Marketing Advisors

Now think about the good bosses you have had. I hope you have had at least one in your career. Why were they good? Why was the experience working for them so invigorating and memorable? Wouldn't you like to create such an environment for anyone under your area of supervision?

It doesn't matter if you have large numbers of people reporting to you or if you are a manager in a small organization with just one administrative assistant - everyone who interacts with others in a supervisory role should focus on making the environment around them supportive and motivating. In the long run, there is no other way to reach your goals.

People are an organization's most valuable resource, more important than the computers they work on; more important than the buildings they work in; and ultimately more important than the clients they serve. Without them, you would not have a business and without happy and motivated staff, your business cannot grow and be the leader in your competitive set.

There are a few areas that I have found are non-negotiable in being a good boss and creating an environment of achievement.

Treat people with respect.

I am always amazed that so many people don't treat others "below" them in the pecking order with respect. Think about how you treat your clients or boss and then remember that there is no reason you shouldn't treat your direct reports in the same manner. People who work for you have to accomplish goals that determine whether or not you are successful. How about a simple please and thank you for starters?

One time a boss told me that he didn't know why he should thank me. After all, what I was doing was my job and what I was paid to do, and frankly, if I didn't like it there were others in line waiting to have my job. How good do you think I felt coming to work every day?

Think about the opposite strategy. Thank people every day for doing their job. How about asking how their day is going? If they look stressed, ask if you can help or clarify an expectation.

The old golden rule works every time: treat others as you would like to be treated. Simple enough, so why don't we do it all the time? And don't worry about the employee not respecting you, getting "too close" or not working hard if you treat them with respect. This type of management style does not mean you have to get into their personal life or them into yours. It just creates an environment of trust, respect and motivation.

Be predictable in your behavior.

Stress is an inevitable part of life and work. We are always trying to get more done with less people, get out more contracts, generate more revenue...more, more, more. Management feels it and their staff feels it.

You can help people be more productive by creating a supportive work environment by being predictable to your staff, even if expectations are extremely high. Everyone is human, has a bad day, and feels frustrated. But the reason you are a manager is that you are expected to handle these situations with maturity and wisdom. So, be predictable in expectations and behavior.

This means that you should not be moody and grumpy to your staff. You should not change the rules every day, depending on your mood and stress levels. Don't be easy on people one day and run them into the ground the next. Don't crash around the office in a tizzy. Be a stable and supportive influence to your staff, even under pressure.

Sounds unrealistic you say? It isn't. Even if your boss behaves poorly, don't pass this on to your staff. Remember how it feels and that you can control your own responses to stress and difficulties.

I heard from one manager that when she got really stressed she went into her office, closed the door and did a few yoga poses. This only took 10 minutes out of her day, but it centered her and she was able to go back out to her staff without passing on the stress and negativity. Whatever you need to do... take a walk, take a deep breath, crawl under your desk and scream silently...do it.

Be clear about expectations.

If the rules change, explain why. Some days things just happen. Owners change their minds about something. Our bosses get pressured and tense. In a bad economy, we are always behind in revenue production. In a good economy, we are never making enough. There is always more occupancy, more revenue, and more goals set for us.

But this doesn't mean that the work environment for your staff needs to be unpleasant. Explain why things need to be done, and if the rules change, explain the reasons why. Everyone just wants to be in the loop, understand expectations and feel part of the team. Surprises confuse everyone and decrease productivity.

In our consulting business the number one complaint I hear from staff about their management is that they are not told why things are happening or why priorities are changing. You'll get more productivity and buy-in if you explain why and how about this...you might even get additional ideas on how to meet your goals if you bring your employees into the loop.

Offer immediate and clear feedback on performance and expectations.

As a manager, you just can't be afraid of giving constructive criticism and feedback. Many managers do not like this part of their job, but if you can't do it, you should not be a manager of others. Have you ever had a boss who started acting differently to you, or perhaps you knew something was wrong but you didn't know what? Perhaps this boss eventually told you what was bothering them about your behavior or performance, or perhaps you were upfront with them and came right out and asked them what the problem was. In either case, the boss did not handle it in the most productive way.

Why waste time by having an employee guess what is wrong or have you act out your displeasure without coming out with the exact issues that need to be addressed?

Remember people can't change if they aren't sure what they are doing wrong. Deal with the problem immediately so there is no confusion about what went wrong or where expectations were missed. You'll develop a greater sense of trust between you and your employees and you'll get improved performances more quickly.

And then don't drop it. This is one of the main mistakes I see managers make. They are so uncomfortable with giving criticism, they manage to give it once, and then turn and run! They just hope the person "got it" and if they don't see a change in behavior, they ignore it because it is just too uncomfortable to address it yet again. But this consistent feedback to an employee is absolutely necessary. Perhaps they didn't get it the first time, and need further direction. Perhaps they prefer doing it their way and they know you won't confront them again, so they "yes" you and keep doing it the same way.

At one property I heard a staff person complaining that her manager would "never let up". Seems her manager had counseled her on an issue and was continuing to follow-up with her and point out areas of needed improvement on a consistent basis. I worked with the staff person on understanding that in fact her boss was doing the right thing by following up on the counseling session and assisting her to reach the stated goals in behavior. This "not letting up" is the hardest thing to do as a manager. It is much easier to mention the problem to an employee and then think or hope it will fix itself, when in fact consistent feedback and "course correcting" are needed.

Don't pass on the negative pressure.

You know what they say about the "junk" rolling downhill. Just because you just got dumped on doesn't mean you have to pass the negativity to the next person down the ladder. You can pass on deadlines and increased responsibility in a positive manner.

Does it feel good to yell at someone after you have just been dressed down? Perhaps, but this just adds to the difficulty of the situation and will de-motivate staff and yield poor results. Take the high road. Treat your staff with respect. Explain the difficult situation, the time line and what is needed. Smile at them if you can. Ask for their help; pull them into your world. They will walk over coals for you.

Remember to take your own time out if needed to get re-centered and back on your game.

Care about their lives.

Find out what is important to your staff. What do they do outside of work for fun, pleasure, with family and friends? Take a bit of time each week to keep up with what is going on with their world. Do this even if you really don't care or aren't interested. Remember that people are more than what they do from 9-5, excuse me, 8-6, and if you show an interest in them, they will feel more involved with you and ultimately more interested in pleasing you and assisting you meet your goals.

Don't confuse this with getting personally involved with your staff, which you should not do. Don't become their private therapist giving advice on personal issues and don't bring them into your personal life. This just makes it more difficult to make the tough decisions or engage in intense coaching and counseling. But do show a genuine interest and if you have an employee who needs professional help of some manner, refer them to the right place for this assistance.

Find out what motivates people who report to you and then tailor your needs to their own. If they are motivated by money, then set up a bonus plan. If they are motivated by praise, publicly and privately praise them. If they want more responsibility, teach them to do more. And so on. Each person is motivated by something different. If you take the time to find out what each person on your team needs and focus on helping them meet their goals, they will return the favor to you in spades. Money is seldom the key motivator, recognition and growth are usually at the heart of any team.

Don't have time? You don't have time for anything else. Period.

Have fun.

Ever been in a situation where you could cut the tension with a knife? How productive were you and how many mistakes did people make? I have worked in offices that were highly productive in extremely stressful situations where laughter was used as a way to keep people motivated and cut the tension. Don't ever underestimate the value of laughter and don't make the mistake of thinking that if people are laughing, they must not be working.

I remember a situation where I was part of a team with a great boss. We had a tough deadline and a few days to complete it. Everyone was working really hard, our boss kept bringing in the coffee, snacks, checking up on the progress, turning up the music and telling the jokes. This was a situation where everyone could have started making lots of mistakes, feeling high stress and becoming resentful. But because he was taking care of the staff, we took care of him. We decided on our own to work late to get the project done so that the next day we could all breathe easily and tend to any last minute changes. We wanted to make our boss look good and take as much pressure off him as we could.

I look back on that day as a great team moment - all because our boss made it fun, laughed along the way and didn't pass the negative pressure on. We supported each other and thus a superior product was produced in short time.

What next?

Ok, now your work force likes coming to the office most days, feels supported by you, understands what they need to do, enjoys their surroundings and is motivated. What happens next? Is this some kind of useless HR hogwash where the "inmates are running the prison?"

Nope. Now you can put on the pressure and expect results. You want to break all revenue records and increase productivity? You want to wow your own boss by being ahead of time with projects and showing imagination and creatively solving problems? Now you can expect your own team to join you in doing just these things. You will have a highly functioning team where other department managers will wonder how you did it.

Hold your team members accountable. Expect nothing but the best performances. Rely on them for last minute changes and long days when necessary. Push them hard to reach their maximum performance and provide you with what you need to succeed. Chances are they will come through for you, they will feel a great sense of accomplishment and you'll win.

It really isn't that hard to be a good boss. I don't mean to imply that a safe and motivated work environment is one where people coast, or sit around and talk about their date last night or where they are going to have lunch. This is an environment where people work hard, feel pushed and work as a team to get a superior job done.

What about a problem?

Sometimes you have a problem employee who just doesn't get it. You do everything suggested above. They still don't work hard. They make repeated mistakes or have a poor attitude. They are bringing the team down. Well, then you have to deal with that situation, but you can do so knowing that you did everything in your power to make them a successful part of the team.

I always felt that if a member of my team failed, I had to look at myself first to be sure that I did everything I could to help them succeed. And if I didn't, then at least part of the failure was mine.

Good luck and be a good boss. Your organization and your own success depend on it.

Sandy Heydt founded Panetiere Marketing Advisors. She has been caring for the health and well-being of marketing and sales departments of mid-scale and luxury properties. She and her team have taken on international as well as national projects. Her firm is best known for writing and implementing marketing plans, filling short term direct sales needs as well as sales audits and training. To that Sandy has recently added executive coaching to her menu of services. Sandy brings thirteen years of DSM and interim GM experience to her writing about hospitality sales and management. Ms. Heydt can be contacted at 303-394-7592 or sheydt@panetieremarketing.com Extended Bio...

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