A study several years ago by a business journal found that the number–one reason people leave their jobs is “poor supervisory behavior.” In other words, bad bosses.
When I entered the workforce several years ago, I naively believed every boss was going to be the best coach and mentor I could ask for. I assumed a boss would be like a good parent: available to speak with me when necessary, able to give me wisdom and advice and always looking for ways to help me improve. Boy, was I wrong.
Have you ever had a boss who seemed to neither care about you nor have time for you? Have you had someone who was so interested in climbing the corporate ladder that he or she believed overseeing you was just an annoying part of the managerial job description? People like that can make you wonder how they ever got to a position of power in the first place. But unfortunately, according to human resource experts, people are often promoted for their workplace accomplishments without any consideration of whether they have effective communication skills. And the problem with this practice is that bad communicators rarely make good bosses.
What distinguishes bosses who have effective communication skills from those who do not? Good bosses stay attentive to the basic needs of every employee. This is demonstrated by the following:
- Having an open–door policy. It is imperative that even the busiest of bosses make themselves available to their employees at some point during the day. Maybe they have a one–hour window when they clear their schedules and make time for employees to drop by and chat. Maybe they leave their doors open the last hour of the day and give employees time to stop and chit–chat on their way out the door. Whatever time is chosen, a good boss must have some “available” time. When I interned for United States Senator Richard Lugar’s office in Washington D.C., he truly had an “open door” policy. He rarely closed his door, and even though his schedule was insanely busy, he appeared accessible. This is crucial.
- Giving regular feedback. I once had a boss who rarely said anything to me. I would seek feedback and constructive criticism from him, but his usual response was, “I don’t need to tell you anything. You’re doing fine. If there is a problem, I will let you know.” It seemed no news was good news with this boss, but I knew there was SOMETHING he could share with me – some constructive criticism or comments. Instead of comforting me, his silence made me feel as if he was disinterested in helping his employees and was, frankly, just not paying attention. Bosses must be engaged with their employees. Some schedule a monthly coffee date with each employee. Some create a lunch date with their staff. Whatever your system, engage and interact! It helps so much!
- Being an effective leader and communicator. There are times the bosses need to “rally the troops”. If the company is slumping, an encouraging speech is needed. If the team does a great job on something, the boss should brag about their success in front of them. A boss does not need to be the best public speaker in the world, but does need to have confidence to talk in front of people and inspire a group. And clear communication on day one is huge! Make a good first impression! Jeffrey J. Fox, author of “How to become a CEO,” writes, “Eliminate future problems on the day of hiring by being exceptionally clear on compensation, benefits, work product, hours, company culture and behavior. Be absolutely sure new employees understand!”
- And finally, not hiding behind email. We have all read bad news in an email and cringed. Don’t do it! Delicate matters must be discussed in person. A friend of mine shared that when she left her last job, where she had worked for three years, the boss said goodbye and good luck in an email. Would it have killed him to walk over to her desk and share these thoughts in person? Better yet, he could have scheduled an exit interview. Not doing so was an example of poor communication, which made that boss look like he was either too intimidated or too uninterested to talk to her in person.
I know I have been hard on the bosses here, but chancesare they are getting paid well enough and have enough resourcesat their disposal that they can be expected to do whatever is necessary to improve their own performance and to set the right tone for communication in their offices. Great communication between bosses and employees will only produce a win–win situation. The employees will be more likely to work harder and demonstrate excellence in their performance when they know a boss is watching and evaluating. And the boss, in turn, will gain the confidence of hisor her employees and be able to coach and demand the best from them.
