What makes a good boss?

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I was inspired by comments in other threads to start this one. What do you consider a good boss to be? For me its being respected and trusted to use my judgement. I don't need hand holding but I want someone there if I need them.

What about you? Perhaps you are the boss , if so what do you think works well?

Perhaps share some bad experiences too as well as good.
 
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head really. Have faith in your staff and let them do the job they’re paid to do.
 
Respect and trust as you mention are certainly key

Being proactive in the development of employees too, assuring that there are pathways for them to progress within the company and expand their knowledge

Approachability - My team know that if they feel something could be done differently or even if they disagree with my decision they can talk to me about it. If they are correct then we can change, or if not I can hopefully explain to them why its done in that way. I will never be a manager that cannot be talked to about anything.

Recognition - If someone does something well, then its recognised, not just between the two of us but to a wider audience to show that their work is valued.

No micro management, there are KPI's that need to be hit, if an employee is doing well in all then they will for the most part be left alone. We regularly review things at intervals but there is no need for me to be all over them if they are doing well.

Delegation - If my team want to be able to do more then I am happy to delegate key roles to them to allow them to feel more engaged as part of the company

communication is probably also one that is up there with respect and trust
 
Being a boss.... I'm subscribing to this as I'm sure I can learn something here :)
 
My boss is a bloody Seagull. All she does is send out emails that she receives from her boss. Anyone can do that.
 
I think a good boss is someone who enables people to get to the top of their tree. (This can be via a mixture of Coaching, Mentoring, Pushing forward, Pulling back, Recognition, Improvement feedback, opportunity creation). Basically some one who think of their team all day every day. Success does not equal making a person the best their is in favour of making person deliver the best that they can.

A bad boss is someone who uses people so that they (The boss) can get to the top of their tree.
 
My boss is a bloody Seagull. All she does is send out emails that she receives from her boss. Anyone can do that.

If it helps, there are many many bosses like this I call them the postie.

Generally I find the is the postie add’s some context and clear definition / require to the email from the bigger boss that people are on with that or, even better if the posited has drafted a reply for the bigger boss and is seeking review / sign off then that’s even better.
 
Great thread to kick off the year with!

I've had a number of bosses, and here is my list of observations:-

1. Favouritism: As a manager or team leader, you should treat everyone equally. In my experience this virtually never happens, as personal relationships come into play. The most important thing you can do as a boss is to remain objective. It's a difficult one to avoid, as friendships are powerful. But if someone is on the outside of that friendship circle, it can be terribly demotivating to see others get preferential treatment. This can be in subtle ways.

2. Performance expectations: If someone is not performing in the required way, ask why that is. There is often an assumption that the person is lazy or incompetent. It could be that they lack certain knowledge, or don't suit the project they've been assigned to. If they need to acquire skills, then allow them to do that, because it's in the interest of the company to do that. Everyone benefits.

3. If someone's done something wrong, tell them immediately so they have a chance to put it right. Do not say nothing, but store up the mistake and trot it out several months later, when the employee has forgotten about the incident.

4. Be clear on your expectations for tasks. People aren't mind readers. If you want a document written in a certain way, explain this.

5. Not everyone's the same, and we all have different strengths. Don't expect all employees to fit into the mould of your star performer. Some people are just good at their job. Besides, a team of 'rock stars' is not really what you want, even if you think it is.

6. Super stars: Related to point 1 - don't put someone on a pedestal, even if they are a 'star performer'.

7. If you use a relative grading appraisal system, then bin it. These kinds of normalised rating systems are bad news.
 
In our company you have two managers. One for the overall project deliverables, and one for your line management. Sounds complex but I think it works well.

As my line manager (who used to be on the project side and was known as a bulldog to deliver the goods) says, people are now her project. So for me a good line manager trusts your work, challenges you when needed, develops you personally even when it might be a detriment to your current project (e.g, if you are successful but move to a new role).

Also, if they have your back and will stick up for you, it's a good feeling. I have a great manager, especially compared the horror stories I read/hear about.
 
Also, if they have your back and will stick up for you, it's a good feeling. I have a great manager, especially compared the horror stories I read/hear about.

That's a great point and something I learned from my manager who is also an excellent leader.

Early on in my management career he said to me that he will always back me, even if he thinks I was wrong or should have done something differently. In the moment he backs me, then he will coach me in how it should be done so that any mistake is hopefully not repeated. It was essential in giving me the confidence to be a manager and try to trust my own decisions. I do exactly that for my own team now
 
You know, in every single job, without fail, I've ever had where I wasn't my own boss, however mundane the job, the only thing I ever had a problem with were the bosses. I can do the most boring job for pretty much minimal wage and be quite happy if left in peace to get on with it, which I was always more than capable off. What I hated was some arsehole boss, throwing his weight around, just to make a point who was in charge, and thus slowing up the production and making staff unhappy. fudge job politics and fudge bosses insulting my intelligence by trying to make out I needed supervising for a job I was well over qualified for. Could never go back to that.
 
You know, in every single job, without fail, I've ever had where I wasn't my own boss, however mundane the job, the only thing I ever had a problem with were the bosses. I can do the most boring job for pretty much minimal wage and be quite happy if left in peace to get on with it, which I was always more than capable off. What I hated was some arsehole boss, throwing his weight around, just to make a point who was in charge, and thus slowing up the production and making staff unhappy. fudge job politics and fudge bosses insulting my intelligence by trying to make out I needed supervising for a job I was well over qualified for. Could never go back to that.

For me, one of the first signs of weak management is micro-management. Lots of examples of people who are promoted into the management job from an existing role, but never figure out that leadership/management is totally different from whatever the group is actually doing day to day.
 
Companies need to understand the difference between managing and leading. 2 different skills and the latter is often very much lacking.
 
For me, one of the first signs of weak management is micro-management. Lots of examples of people who are promoted into the management job from an existing role, but never figure out that leadership/management is totally different from whatever the group is actually doing day to day.

In my industry that micro management often comes from very competent technical people, promoted into a leader role, who don't trust others to do a good enough job, and/or can't delegate responsibility.
 
In my industry that micro management often comes from very competent technical people, promoted into a leader role, who don't trust others to do a good enough job, and/or can't delegate responsibility.

AKA “The Peter Theroy” and I would suggest more prevelant in back office (IT/Data Services) roles than End Customer Facing Roles.
 
I have a huge amount of respect for one of my managers:

  • When I walked up to his desk to ask for something, he always gave me his full attention and made sure that I was cool with the answer (or whatever the outcome was)
  • He doesn't expect miracles. Tasks take time and sometimes you don't know the best way of doing something straight off the bat
  • He doesn't play the "blame game". If something goes wrong, he'll concentrate more on how to fix it than bawling someone out for getting it wrong. He assumes that people are mature enough to own up to mistakes and communicate how the situation won't happen again.
  • If he knows who to ask about something, he'll often ask himself and cc me in with the emails.
  • He knows a huge amount - he worked his way up from the bottom, so he knows the technical details for almost everything.
  • He doesn't take credit for something that someone else has done, but he will take responsibility for something that has gone wrong on his team's watch.
  • He's an extremely clear communicator - speaks in plain language, is easily understandable, and explains things without talking down to people.
  • He's often really happy to talk about things that aren't work-related.
 
For the most part my role is pretty autonomous, my past few bosses will never have the technical understanding to know the complexity of what I am doing (which is of course why I am employed).

I do expect a steer on the direction of the company, and understanding of current development projects and other pressures. Don't really get any of that, but I do get the autonomy, which is preferable to micro management.

I don't mind just getting on with the job, but a complete lack of engagement sometimes makes you feel a little under appreciated. A colleague of mine, for example, jokingly wished our boss happy xmas on the 9th of December, he replied "Yeah you too" with no hint of sarcasm! No one was on holiday, we just weren't going to here from him for the next fortnight!
 
I was inspired by comments in other threads to start this one. What do you consider a good boss to be? For me its being respected and trusted to use my judgement. I don't need hand holding but I want someone there if I need them.

What about you? Perhaps you are the boss , if so what do you think works well?

Perhaps share some bad experiences too as well as good.

A good boss knows the level of support team members need, some need a hands-off approach but at the same time others may need a bit more attention. So a good boss knows what each person needs in order to do their best.

Don't micromanage but being able to sidle up alongside and offer a helping hand when someone needs it is a difficult tightrope to manage. Sometimes saying "My door is always open" isn't always enough

But trust people to be able to do the job that you've employed them to do, but at the same time be able to offer ideas but don't be too offended if they choose not to take them. Even when you know your idea was better ;)

I try to speak to everyone in the department at least a couple of times a week , let them know I'm not some person who walks into their office, closes the door and only opens it to leave and the end of day, only communicating via emails.

I've had a couple of that type of boss, remember what it was you hated about your bosses and try not to do the same. I remember how hard it was to talk to the person whose job I now occupy and try never to be that person.

If someone knocks on your door then try to give them attention there and then, no matter how pressing the work you were doing. It may have taken that person days of working up to knocking on your door and putting them off to a better time may mean the moment has passed.

Try to remember what it was like when you were the other side of the desk.

You're also your departments eyes and ears to the rest of the organization and you're their representative. If someone in the department does a great job let the senior management it was their work and not yours
 
I guess knowing your staff is key to be able to meet individual needs. Thinking back to the worst bosses I had they didn't show any interest in knowing me and just treated me as a 'head count'.
 
Not everyone's the same, and we all have different strengths. Don't expect all employees to fit into the mould of your star performer. Some people are just good at their job. Besides, a team of 'rock stars' is not really what you want, even if you think it is.

This is incredibly important. As a (hopefully) leader it is critical for me to actually know my team. Who can do what easily, who will find it challenging. How will someone take tough feedback in their stride and someone else it will knock them for six. Who will be comfortable with a project that will require coordinating with a lot of people, who needs one that will be more of a one-person show. Who is coming off a tough projects and needs something light. Who is having a tough time outside work and it wouldn't be best to give them a really heavy project to work on.

I put myself in the player/manager camp. I spend a lot of time at the coal-face (in fact, if I look at the code source-control stats I have made over 50% of the commits to our project across a team of 10 - but I would never point this out) and have many different hats - coder/engineer, architect, mentor, salesperson, shoulder to cry on, person to go to for the 'real' story, 'engineering expert'.

Honestly it is exhausting, but (usually) fun. Switching from discussing safe multi-threading patterns one minute to planning someone 'coming out ' as transgender the next - never a dull moment.

I have never had an 'office' (unless you count my spare room for WFH) and I hope I never do. I am one of the team - not 'the boss'. This is my style - seems to work. Maybe someone from my team is on here and will tell me is sucks :laugh:
 
Working nightshift I very rarely encounter the site manager(s) let alone the company owner.
For me the boss is the nightshift supervisor or his deputy the nightshift chargehand.
The same with previous employers (except when I was on alternating/rotating shifts).
For me a good boss (as in, the one who assigns me tasks) is one willing to muck in and help when the workload is too great, and to step back and leave me to get on with it when it isn't.
That type of boss gets my respect and me to voluntarily take on tasks for him when his workload is greater.

A good boss will also consider the effect of their decisions on the staff - and seek their opinion before making them.
Changes to the working environment that take place at weekends are going to impact staff that work during the week, and if they've had no input in those changes are going to be miffed that opportunities for improvements were missed.
Two examples of that.
One weekend the line painters came and marked areas around the loading bay. The markings fail to serve the purpose required because no working staff were there to advise the reason for requesting them.
A temporary building was erected to house the workers' computer equipment within the warehouse; the existing J-desk was placed the wrong way round restricting access to the chair - and particularly made it awkward to demonstrate to new staff how to use the system; I was quite exasperated when I saw it.
After several months working like that I had an opportunity (low workload) to disconnect the remaining printer and two PCs, take the desk out, rotate it and reconnect all the equipment; everyone subsequently mentioned how much better it was to work in.
 
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