Being a Nice Boss
July 29th 2008 03:09
Is there any reason to be a nice boss? Ok since I wrote in my last posting about being mean let me now talk about being nice. You can be liked and respected as a manager. Just keep things in perspective and recognize it’s not a popularity contest. Don’t be everyone’s best friend. You will regret it. Sure you can get along with people -- and you should. What you shouldn’t do is be everyone’s friend to the point, where you can’t do your own job.
Being the best friend to your staff make it difficult when someone needs to be disciplined or worse terminated. Too often, I see people unable to deal with the actual managing of their staff because they are afraid of hurting the friendship. As a manager, you should be helping your staff learn how to do their job well. You should also be a mentor to them to help them move into better opportunities (preferably with your own organization). If you can’t help a person see their own flaws, you will not be doing them any favors.
There is nothing wrong with being nice. When a person is really in need (due to death or illness, etc.), I would encourage you to help them out, but as I said before keep things in perspective. Help your employees grow and become skilled enough to be promoted. Helping them moving up, can be the best thing you can do for them.
When you become friends with your employees, it can be difficult to help them grow because they will leave you and you will need to train a new person to fill that position. Don’t hold someone back for this reason. A good boss would never want to see that happen. It’s better to be replaceable than irreplaceable in any position. When you help someone become replaceable, they can move into a better position.
Being the best friend to your staff make it difficult when someone needs to be disciplined or worse terminated. Too often, I see people unable to deal with the actual managing of their staff because they are afraid of hurting the friendship. As a manager, you should be helping your staff learn how to do their job well. You should also be a mentor to them to help them move into better opportunities (preferably with your own organization). If you can’t help a person see their own flaws, you will not be doing them any favors.
There is nothing wrong with being nice. When a person is really in need (due to death or illness, etc.), I would encourage you to help them out, but as I said before keep things in perspective. Help your employees grow and become skilled enough to be promoted. Helping them moving up, can be the best thing you can do for them.
When you become friends with your employees, it can be difficult to help them grow because they will leave you and you will need to train a new person to fill that position. Don’t hold someone back for this reason. A good boss would never want to see that happen. It’s better to be replaceable than irreplaceable in any position. When you help someone become replaceable, they can move into a better position.
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