subject: What Makes a Great Boss? [print this page] What Makes a Great Boss? What Makes a Great Boss?
Your "Boss," or direct supervisor, is the one person who probably has the greatest impact on your work life, whether good, bad or indifferent. A Great Boss excels at creating opportunities for growth and development. A bad one has a way of mismanaging people right out the door.
Working for a Boss who required frequent trips to the well of perseverance is an experience many of us share. We may have requested a transfer or even quit a job over a bad boss. Sadly, some of us just may have hung in there, waiting for things to miraculously improve (a strategy that rarely succeeds!)
According to a Gallop report, the number one reason employees leave companies is dissatisfaction with their direct supervisor. It's that simple. Bosses described as "managerially challenged" have a direct effect on employee satisfaction, and can end up costing their companies thousands of dollars in productivity and the need to replace valuable workers. When it comes to employee retention, human relationships outweigh pay, benefits and company reputation.
Hopefully we've also worked for an individual who guided and inspired us; the Boss who helped us achieve our goals, grow our careers and develop as professionals. Like that great teacher you had in school that you'll always remember, Great Bosses impact our lives in ways that withstand the test of time. We learn from them. We want to be like them.
What are the attributes we look for in a Great Boss? What is it about these people that bring out the best in us? The following are two qualities employees of Great Bosses have shared with us.
Great Bosses appreciate and encourage independent thinking. They know that there's value in thinking outside the box and they understand that creative thinking gets you more bang for your buck.
Great Bosses support their people. They treat others with respect and actively seek avenues for their people to shine independently.
Find out additional qualities employees have revealed when asked, What Makes a Great Boss?
