A requiem for a good boss
OFLATE, most members of my drastically decimated team have been wallowing in throes of depression. It is depression that follows when a much-admired and loved colleague suddenly decides to call it quits. In this case it was the team head. Going back to the beginning, the day I had joined the organisation, I was told that the most important person in the office was the boss. And after crossing swords with him on a couple of occasions, I realised that it was so wrought in bold letters on stone. The boss was/is/ will be always right! It made sense all the more as I happened to read about this study that said that an employee's relationship with his boss is as important as his relationship with his spouse/ partner for his overall well being. A simple spat can ruin things and even factors like a rewarding job or great co-workers will not compensate for a negative relationship with the boss.
Bad rapport with the boss is the root of most employee problems. And studies show that more than half the workers in any organisation have a shaky, if not downright miserable relationship with their superiors. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that these negative feelings often affect the health of the employees. Poor man-management is at the core of most worker dissatisfaction. As Gallup in their polls so aptly put it, "Employees leave supervisors; not companies". It also says that arbitrary actions (of managers) are the most common cause of workplace anger.
So much for bad bosses. But here the situation was quite the opposite. What my team was experiencing was a sense of desolation and betrayal at the loss of a much-loved boss. So bad was the desperation that some of the younger and reckless ones were ready to quit and move on to other places rather than stick around. It is every manager's dream to be able to inspire this kind of loyalty. What made the manager so special? His innate humanity and sense of fair play coupled with a wicked sense of humour. One of the reasons he `held sway' was his almost irreverent joie de vivre even under excruciating circumstances and dreadful deadlines. There is nothing that can't be done, was his axiom. He proved that just as it is easy to spread negativity, it is equally easy to spread good cheer and camaraderie.
It has been proven time and again that employees, who work for happy and productive bosses, are themselves happy and productive. And not surprisingly most of the team was content. It is another matter that he always regretted the fact that he could never make the grade for Dilbert cartoons! Well, modesty was never his strong suit!
So, what makes a Boss Person so admired and respected?
Consult first
An essential thing a manager has to do is to ask and consult his people before implementing any changes. He should be aware that any kind of change that alters the status quo often creates stress and fear in employees. He should take them into confidence and give them some prior information on the matter.
Looking good
One of the most respectable qualities that employees admire in a boss is his ability and willingness to help them succeed. He should rather have the spotlight on one of his people than gloat in the limelight himself. His team's accomplishments would delight him as much as their failure would sadden.
Shared goals
A good boss should have the ability to connect— be it shared goals, shared dreams or even shared coffee! A boss understands his employees' priorities, at the same time urging them to contribute to larger organisational goals. He should never let his insecurities rub off on his employees.
Shared dreams
No employee would want to leave a boss with whom he is compatible at every level. Ask anyone and they would swear that it is more necessary than even spousal compatibility! Such a manager would never have to face the problem of attrition; employees would work with him as long as he is there to lead them. And when he leaves, he wreaks a Pied Piper effect in his wake. Some, like my colleagues will quit impulsively and immediately, others will give it a try and when the office `doesn't do it for them anymore', follow suit in a couple of months' time.
Some bosses deserve praise and when they leave, people vote with their feet; wonder where mine will take me?
MP
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