Be A Better Boss

In today's excerpt from Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth I address employers . . . your boss.  You're welcome to eavesdrop and perhaps learn a few ways you can help to make your chief a better boss.

Listen up, bosses! Whether you like or dislike your employees, one thing is true: How well you communicate with them plays a huge role in the success of your business. Why? Because workers pay close attention to everything you say and don’t say, how well you listen, and how much concern you show for their well-being. And these things determine how employees feel about you, your company, and their jobs. Here’s how to keep the lines of communication open so your workers are happier and more productive, courtesy of Bottom Line/Personal.

•Avoid the mistake of talking first and listening second.
  When you have a problem with an employee, the first tendency is to take that person aside, explain how you feel and give instructions on how to solve the problem. But an employee who is  approached that way is likely to feel singled out, and may become defensive. Instead, approach your employee with a question that starts a dialogue, like: “How’s the job?” “What’s going well, and what’s not?” This invites the employee to share his or her concerns about the job. It also provides a natural lead-in for your observations and suggestions for improvement. 

•Don’t automatically assume you’ve heard correctly.
  No matter who’s talking or who’s listening, the message sent isn’t necessarily the message received. So, to avoid a misunderstanding, listen carefully as your employee speaks. Then, give a “read-back”—a simple summary of what you think they’ve said to you. This helps you improve your listening skills, and assures employees that you care about what they have to say.

•Don’t do too many things at once.
  Trying to listen to someone while you’re checking your email or day-planner makes the person you’re speaking to feel unimportant. And when people feel like you’re not paying attention to what they’re saying, they spend four times as long saying it. So, make an appointment with an employee who needs to speak with you. You’ll get things solved more quickly, be a better boss and they’ll feel like you’ve made an extra effort to hear them.

John
Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

I love to see companies operate more effectively and in my book Intelligence For Your Life I share some tips I use in my own company you can apply in yours.  You can purchase Intelligence For Your Life from your local bookstore or online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.