Year after year, workers constantly find ways to improve themselves, but industry leaders are doing the same thing as they strive to take their companies to greater heights. If you’re a supervisor or a manager but you fear that you’re not a natural born leader, don’t worry—there are some ways that you can be a better boss this year.
According to “The Cheat Code” author Brian Wong (via CNBC), one of the best ways to be a great boss is to know the superpowers of your employees. To do this, listen more and find out what projects make people light up when they discuss them. Once you learn about each team member’s superpower, delegate tasks and choose leaders accordingly.
Another way to be a great boss this year is to know your people well enough to manage them as individuals. It’s not about playing favorites—it’s about finding different ways to lead them according to their working style. For instance, one worker may require some more guidance than others, while another can be assigned to take on more responsibility.
Give feedback in a constructive manner. Be specific and sincere, and give advice on how an employee can improve his performance.
Be friendly and approachable. So many employees have complained of having a difficult or bad tempered boss, and nothing gets accomplished if your team members feel as though you’re a ticking bomb that can go off at any moment.
You can also be a better boss if you make yourself accessible to every single person on your team. Hiding away in your office and having people go through a gatekeeper won’t do you any good in the workplace. Consider the reason why Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is much loved by his people, as the father-of-one’s office has glass walls and he wants his employees to be able to approach him.
Lastly, be a better boss this year by showing your appreciation for your team members. A few words of praise or a written commendation can do wonders for an employee’s morale.
For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s tips on how to turn a bad day around at work.
