|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Being a Great Boss
Are you one of those bosses that people just love to hate? Maybe successful, maybe very intelligent, maybe organized and moving forward but just can't get along with people. Communication and other people skills are as important to the success of your business as your talent, knowledge and entrepreneurial drive. After all, you cannot do it all by yourself and you need good people.
I remember being a very arrogant and egotistical program director back in the mid 1970's when my boss called me into the office and flat out told me "Mike, you got talent and drive but you need to learn some diplomacy". I'll never forget that meeting. This mentor taught me things like no matter how great my idea was it was probably going nowhere if I couldn't convince, persuade or lead people to buy into it. I learned that very few people want to negotiate with a bull-head. And if they do because they must then they will resent it for a long long time. Some will even look for the opportunity for payback. I relearned things that were taught to me in elementary school. Things like "you attract more bees with honey than vinegar". As a 7 year old the key word there was bees so who cared, right? As a businessman the key word had become attract. Same sentence different meaning. Things like "smile and people will smile back at you" or "extend your hand and the other person will shake it".
It doesn't take a lot of extra effort to be a nice boss. As a matter of fact it's a whole lot easier to be nice than it is to be a hard-ass. And the payoff is so great in a happy and productive workforce that I can't reason why some bosses still act in a totalitarian, dictatorial way. How do your people perceive you? I'm not talking about being a wimp and saying yes to every unreasonable demand an employee makes. I'm talking about listening, caring, empathy, leadership and, oh yes?diplomacy.
Mike Shannon is the owner of Shamrock Business Coaching, a coaching practice that helps business owners increase profits. You can visit Shamrock Business Coaching on the web at: http://www.ShamrockCoaching.com.
Wind Chimes and more... --PREPARATION: The purpose of the therapeutic approach is to spark... Read More My background is in retail management - yes, running stores,... Read More Today there is great weight put on a person's attitude.... Read More You, the Entrepreneur, are 'normally' a type-A individual. One who... Read More A year or so ago, I met Allan Kempert. Allan... Read More Most executives view offshore outsourcing most of all as a... Read More "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." Ralph Waldo EmersonI'm... Read More Many concepts in the fields of managing creativity are very... Read More If you own or operate a business in the UK,... Read More SWOT analysis is needed for all business to understand how... Read More Integrity is very important to me, and I try hard... Read More How do you, or would you, communicate in a chaotic... Read More Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management, or TQM, has become one... Read More A successful leader told me, "The biggest challenge I've had... Read More Wouldn't it be nice for business owners and executives to... Read More Most people think real change in an organization occurs as... Read More The reason jobs are often not done right and employees... Read More As a professional speaker, one of my biggest challenges is... Read More When I was first initiated into Corporate America, I had... Read More Writing a Business Plan for your next entrepreneurial endeavor is... Read More Every meeting is a laboratory where you can observe and... Read More When executives see themselves as solely responsible for the overall... Read More As an HR professional, you have responsibilities in several broad... Read More In a previous life I was a Navy Pilot. Great... Read More The world has always been mixed with the... Read More
Windchimes
for great gifts!
Dealing with Marginal Performers: The Therapeutic Approach
Make a Difference - Sweat the Small Stuff First
Is A Bad Attitude Permanent
Dont Get Side-Tracked By The Nay-Sayers
Allan Kempert Discovers That Truly All You Gotta Do Is Ask
Making a Decision to Outsource: Driving Factors
Lower the Bar
Culture Management and Creativity
Romford Accountants: Accountancy Firm Roles and Responsibilities
How to do SWOT Analysis for your Business
Why I always Keep my Promises
Communicating In Chaotic Environments
ISO 9001 and Total Quality Management
Leading Bad Actors To Be Good Performers
How to Get Your Procedures Project Done
How to Help Your Company Become a World Class Company
How Bad Communication Can Hold You Back and How to Break Free of It
Internal Prisons: The Thief of Productivity and Quality in our Workforce
A Sense of Humor in the Workplace ... Is it Me? Or, was that not funny?
Industry Analysis Section of Your business plan
Another Use for Meetings
Demise of the Lone Ranger Manager: A Lesson in Management Communication Style
Outsourcing Problem Analysis
Never Hire Anyone Dumber Than You Are!
Success: A Wholistic Perspective
A Winning Way to Handle New Ideas
Janet DiClaudio, who was charge of medical records at two... Read More
Transparency: A Key To Your Effectiveness
Last month I talked about the Skilled Facilitator principle of... Read More
Top 5 Services Your Company?s Accounting Department Should Outsource
Accounting is one area which every company has to maintain... Read More
Are You Ready to Sell Your Business
Make Sure You Understand Your Motivation for SellingAre you thinking... Read More
How to Create a Trusting Manager-Employee Relationship
BUILDING TRUST AS A MANAGER: 1. Be reliable. Follow through... Read More
How To Get What You Really Want
As a small business owner, entrepreneur or independent professional, it's... Read More
Performance Appraisals: Nightmares or Sweet Dreams
Some managers think of performance appraisal meetings and recollections of... Read More
Management Team Section of Business Plans
Writing an award winning business plan is a great skill,... Read More
The ?Better Product? fallacy
Another fallacy ingrained in the minds of most marketing managers... Read More
Unlock the Hidden Creativity of Your Employees
To release creativity in employees, managers must get involved in... Read More
Are Your Marketing Pieces Up to Date?
The other day someone asked me for one of my... Read More
Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions
Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between people... Read More
Recognition: A Quick, Low-cost Way to Motivate Employees
Recognizing good performance through praise or other positive action is... Read More
Quality Hiring: Are You Doing It Right?
Quality hiring is more than running ads, screening, interviewing and... Read More
Managing People - No One Shows You What To Do
Imagine the following scenario - you pay a visit to... Read More
Conquering the Number One Problem in Business--Poor Communication
The Number One problem in business is poor communication: between... Read More
People Skills: Eight Essential People Skills
Being able to communicate effectively with others requires people skills,... Read More
Bolster Credibility with Investors--Avoid These Phrases in Your Business Plan
Remember Papa John's commercial on TV with the slogan "Better... Read More
First Things First -- Process BEFORE Technology
Here's a brief story I encountered while leaving Newark International... Read More
Follow Up: It Makes A Difference
A while back the headlight switch on our minivan quit... Read More
1000 Managers Turned Their Plans Into Energy!
I bet you can't tell me how leadership training and... Read More
6 Simple Steps to Dealing with Difficult Managers
The challenge of managing difficult managers can be rather daunting,... Read More
Whatever it Takes!
I have a sign on my office door. It pretty... Read More
Is Your Business Ethical?
Ethics - in a profession or trade - is that... Read More
Critical Success Factors - Next
The Critical Success Factors Focusing on the... Read More
Business Management |