What are the quailities in a boss that you like/dislike?

[stephen4785]

I like it when a supervisor calls me like he says he's going to

Damn it!. Im soooo sorry. Ill call you today I promise. Ill even set my alarm to remind me.

[Baron Von Crowder]

I've never micro managed any of my employees. To me, an employee that needs me telling them what to do every step is a bad employee.

I tend to associate best with managers who have some kind of personality. The PM I work for now is a goddamn idiot, has no clue what is going on, and doesnt care a bit. He doesnt care enough to get to know his employees and even pretend to care about them or their lives. He's also notorious for dismissing a problem when you bring it to him, and many times he doesnt even want to know the details. As a region, we all have grown aware that problems will still be problems and that there is not anyone in management that is willing to put in the extra work to fix them, leading to lackluster performance. Hell I have fellow employees that call me to help them fix problems, because I've been around long enough to know how to work around them or try to avoid them.

In management rolls, I tend to be the easy going type, and try to make my employees feel like they can depend on me in a bind. My route drivers at my previous gig would call me with issues instead of their boss, because they were more comfortable talking to me about it and felt that it would provide a better solution. It wasnt uncommon for me to be at the doc at 4 am 200 miles from my home to help them, if I thought it needed to be done. They knew I had no problem doing what needed to be done to make everything work. Customers picked up on it quickly too. They gained confidence in our company when the regional manager showed up due to a delivery issue.

I listened to their needs and tried to find a solution. If there wasnt a good one, I walked them through the options and explained both sides to them. I wanted them to know the options and generally shaped the conversations so that they decided for themselves what the solution should be. I did it that way when working retail, and had the highest employee retention of our market. There is a big difference in working remote of your employees and working next to them, too. I would take them to lunch, or bring some back for them. I would chat with them about their home lives, and try to get to know them personally. It helped me as a manager know what to expect of them.

Steven, the best shop foreman I have ever seen was a bit like this. He was very laid back and would generally back you in a bind. All the techs in the shop knew that he had a ton of experience, and was willing to help. If we screwed something up, we knew it was in our best interest to let him know. Most times, he would help you out. People liked him, and he wasnt too good to bs with you or go to lunch, have a beer after work, etc. There have been many times I have thought about him and thought about how he would do it in my dealings.

[03DARKSHADOW]

good bosses listen to their employees and work with them to get things done, but they don't meddle. In my years in management, the more i was visible in the trenches helping, the more respect i got and my employees worked harder for me.

Buy donuts. Everyone likes donuts.

agreed!!