27 May 5 Signs That You Have A Good Boss In 2021
“WOULD YOU FOLLOW A GOOD COMPANY OR A GOOD BOSS?”
I pondered this question during working life in corporate , and even asked my friends or colleagues. Obviously, the answer is not straightforward. Some may say, a good company provides a healthy culture to work in.
Isn’t it true that you spend most of your time working with your boss, learning or receiving guidance from them? A Gallup poll of more than one million employed U.S. workers found that a bad boss or immediate supervisor is the number one reason people leave their jobs. Around 75% of workers who voluntarily quit their jobs did so because of their supervisors, not because of the job itself.
Our boss leaves an immediate impact in our working life. Therefore, having a good boss is vital to our career growth and even our mental health in the workplace.
The question is, how do we know we have a good boss?
1. YOUR BOSS DOES NOT KNOW IT ALL.
This does not mean a good boss should have no prior knowledge in the work field. A boss with good technical knowledge may be credible, but it may not be the most important criteria to become a good boss in 2021. Instead, right leadership skills play a more important role. Check out the Top 10 leadership skills here.
As times are changing very quickly, with the blooming of technology, retail businesses are transforming to New Retail, a good boss recognizes that they may not have all the answers or all the knowledge. Retail leaders like Jack Ma, Ren Zheng Fei recognize that they are not technology experts in their company (which has very advanced technology). Instead, they hire and empower these experts to do the job.
To a good boss, it’s ok not to know everything. They empower their people and even admit their mistakes when they are wrong.
2. YOUR BOSS IS AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR
Miscommunication tends to happen in the workplace. It is worse if you receive abstract instructions or directions from your boss. You seriously have no clue what to do or when the due date is up. A boss who can give clear instructions and explanations at work, will definitely be of great help.
With regards to effective communication, many bosses make the mistake of talking too much, without getting much feedback from his or her team. A good boss will allow their staff to have the freedom to think and speak up. They ask many questions to understand their staff, for example: how this thing is being done, what you like about it, what could be improved, how can we be more efficient etc.
3. YOUR BOSS CREATES A CONSTRUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT
Any questions? Any feedback? Any ideas? Often we hear this in the meeting room, usually it will just be silence when our boss asks that. Many people are afraid to say things against their boss’ ideas, or even propose ideas because they have to do more work after saying it.
This is where a good boss comes into play. They will take initiative to create the environment of “it is ok to challenge my idea”, which allows open communication and collaboration.
Also, the employees will receive instant feedback whether they have done a good or bad job. This is much more appreciated alongside the “I Want It Now!” instant gratification behaviour of the current generation.
4. YOUR BOSS IS NOT A SPOTLIGHT GRABBER.
Typical bosses always want to get the spotlight so they look good in front of their bosses.
Good bosses put their team in the spotlight and acknowledge successes as a team effort.
And they always want to see you succeed. They are prepared to guide and coach you, or even be strict to you. Because your success is their success.
5. YOUR BOSS KEEPS MEETINGS TO A MINIMUM
What really drained employees’ motivation at work? Endless and useless meetings.
Especially during COVID period, many people are still working from home, imagine back-to-back ZOOM or Microsoft Team meetings, which adds extra stress and exhaustion to the employees.
A good boss knows that, and he or she will definitely want to boost, not kill productivity. Setting a productive meeting will be a great relief for the employees.
To sum it up, having a good boss is important. I would choose to follow a good boss, rather than a good company. Of course a good company + a good boss is the best combo we could ever wish for.
If your boss has the 5 signs that we shared in the article, you are very lucky and stay with your boss.
If you are a boss, please follow these 5 good practices to build your team. All the best!
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