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How to Avoid Becoming a “Bad Boss” and Still Get Stuff Done

July 15, 2019 | Staffing Blog

It takes a lot of effort to find and train your employees. The whole recruiting and interviewing process can cost your company a lot of money. All of that becomes a waste of your time and energy if the people that you hire continue to leave. The important thing to remember is that it takes just as much effort to keep your people around.

Being Liked While Commanding Respect

Research has found that the majority of people leave their jobs because of their managers, not because of the company. If you really want to hang onto the team you’ve got, you’ll want to focus on being a “good boss” and not a “bad” one. Still, you don’t want to be too nice and get walked all over. In order to get in a groove where people like you and you’re still commanding respect, we have compiled some tips for you:

1. Show Your Appreciation

You want your employees to do a good job, and they want to know that you appreciate their hard work. It is encouraging for them to know that you can see the effort they are putting in and not just pointing out what’s lacking. Be specific about things that they have been doing well so that they know that you’re being genuine. The more that you do this, the more positive energy and motivation you will spread.

2. Be Reasonable with Their Work Load

If you keep piling the assignments on, you won’t give your team the chance to put in that extra effort themselves. Really consider what is necessary for a work day and a couple extra tasks that could get fit in. This way they will get confident with the normal tasks and excited about the ones that change things up a bit. Overwhelming them will only cause stress and lackluster performances.

3. Communicate

Hold regular meetings with the entire team so your expectations are clear and everyone can see that they are being treated equally. Emails and text messages tend to seem impersonal, causing people to not take them as seriously. They want to hear it from you and to be able to ask questions. Not only will this ensure that everyone is on the same page, it will show them that you care about their voice as well.

4. Show That You Can Be Flexible

Try not to be stubborn about stuff and see where you can bend a little for the sake of the team. You can do so by:

  • Considering and implementing their ideas about procedures.
  • Letting them come up with the location for your next staff party.
  • Giving them a little more time for their lunch break when the workload is lighter that day.
  • Letting employees switch assignments if they agree they prefer the other person’s.
  • Just being an overall good listener.

5. Try to be as Transparent as Possible

Employees don’t like to feel shut out or kept in the dark. Keeping them involved will allow them to have pride in their work and promote a team atmosphere.

Furthermore, if they know some struggles you are having, they will be more understanding when you are having a tough day or if you need to spend more time in the office. You never know, they may even have some thoughts towards a helpful solution.

6. Set a Good Example

  • A great way to earn your employees’ respect is by practicing what you preach. Some examples of this are:
  • Supporting them the way you expect them to support each other.
  • Know as much as you can about the industry that you’re in and the procedures that your employees follow.
  • Show pride in your work.
  • Have a positive attitude about the job you have come in to do that day.

7. Know When to Hire More Staff

Your team will not be able to do a good job if you don’t have the place adequately staffed. It’s great if you can give each person a wide span of tasks, but make sure you know when you are asking too much. For example, during the slower season, your main staff may be able to be on top of cleaning tasks. Once things ramp up, however, you may need to bring in some extra help.

Need Help with Staffing?

Bringing in new staff is not a simple task. Plus, you want to make sure that you aren’t over-hiring. If you need to bring on some more staff here and there for your busy seasons, you may want to consider hiring temporary employees. Allegiance Staffing can help you determine where that need is and what will be the most helpful for you. For more information on temporary employment, reach out to our customer service staff here!