Being a boss can be one of the toughest jobs in the business industry. The running of the company is on your shoulders and you have to do well otherwise your company will suffer. You might be running a small start-up business or a hugely successful enterprise. The rules are the same no matter the size of your company.
Be Approachable
As a boss you are the main person your employees will come to should there be a problem within the workplace, or even at home. You need to make them feel safe and secure in the knowledge that they won’t be confronted if something is going wrong. They could be having a hard time with another employee and this needs to be taken seriously. They need to know that you believe what you are being told and that you will in turn do something about it.
Being approachable also means you will have a much better working relationship with your employees. You can be their friend as well as their boss. If your employees enjoy working for you then you will have a much better success rate within the company and less employee churn. Employee churn is not good for business and can end up costing you a fortune as you will constantly be needing to list jobs and conduct interviews.
Communicate Effectively
Just like when your employees run into difficulty with something they communicate with you, you also need to be able to communicate with them. Communication is a two-way streak, you have to give and take. If you are seeing problems within the workforce then you need to relay this as calmly and professionally as possible.
If your employees feel like they are being attacked for something that wasn’t necessarily their fault they may reconsider working for you. You don’t want this to happen. It is much easier to communicate in a tone that won’t make your employees runoff. Make sure you aren’t storming into the office every time something goes wrong as your employees will see you in a negative light.
Instead, if there are issues that need to be resolved, schedule a time that is convenient for everyone. For example, ten minutes before lunch or after lunch when everyone will be around.
Set Realistic Goals
If you are setting unrealistic goals there will be too much pressure on your employees. There will be mounting pressure on you as well. If your goals are not achievable then everyone will be at risk of developing conditions associated with stress. You don’t want yourself or your employee suffering from stress as this will lead to staff absences. Staff absences mean your business will fall behind its targets even more and then you get into a vicious cycle.
Take a look at your business and set realistic goals and numbers that are not only achievable but will give your employees a great sense of achievement when they are completed.
Safe Workplace
Creating a safe, happy workplace will mean your employees enjoy coming into work. If your employees wake up each day with the feeling of dread then this is not good for anyone. Make sure that the fire exits are always clearly marked and you have a fire safety officer elected for the office.
The way you lay the office out is important in terms of health and safety as well, if the desks are too close together this will cause safety hazards and trip hazards for your employees. You also need to be sure that office politics doesn’t interfere with your employees as tension in the office isn’t fun.
Rewards
Rewarding your employees to show you are proud of them and their achievements is important. Showing someone you are proud of the work they have done gives them an incredible sense of happiness and feeling proud. It also provides a sense of empowerment that they can overcome tough workloads and challenges.
You could reward them with turkey money at Thanksgiving or Christmas time. Take a look at buying bulk turkey gift vouchers for your team as a special thank you around special occasions. You could also take a day off from work, close the office and have a special team bonding day doing something fun. You could book everyone in for a meal out as well after work so you aren’t losing hours or money. There are lots of options available for rewarding your staff members.
We hope you found this article helpful and take some relief knowing that you are doing the best you can. Your employees will thank you and appreciate you more if you are a nice, kind boss.