If you were to hand your employees feedback forms, what would they say about you?
Would they talk about you in glowing terms, with nothing but praise and gratitude, or would they vent their negative feelings on the paperwork you had given them?
Of course, they might also commit to the former, not because they like you, but because they fear the repercussions of saying anything but nice words about you!
Hopefully, you are a fair boss. If your employees genuinely do look up to you, then great!
But let’s consider what might make you a bad boss for a moment, as there are some behaviors that you need to squash if you want to get the best out of your employees.
How To Be A Boss Your Employees Look Up To
1. Don’t Be Overly Critical
- Do you berate your employees for the smallest of mistakes?
- Are you constantly breathing down their necks, tutting and forcing your own suggestions onto them?
If so, stop. You need to make your employees feel valued, and this means praising them for their hard work when it is due and helping them to be their best selves instead of limiting their potential.
Sure, you might need to be firm occasionally, but employees often work harder when they are being encouraged and treated with some modicum of respect.
2. Don’t Be Discriminatory
- Have you ever passed somebody over for promotion because of their age or gender?
- Have you ever made judging comments about somebody’s race or sexual orientation?
These are discriminatory behaviors, and your employees have every right to seek legal help when they feel victimized in any way. You can get an understanding of this when considering the legal support offered by attorney Larry Organ.
It’s in your best interest to show fairness and equality to all, as your reputation will take a nosedive should you get taken to court, and your business will suffer huge financial losses. Your employees will despise you too!
3. Don’t Show Neglect
- When your employees come to you with a problem, do you listen and support them?
- Do you care about your employee’s health and wellbeing in your workplace?
- Have you provided the training they need to do their jobs properly?
Bravo if you have, boo if you haven’t! You need to be there for your employees, caring for all of their needs. By showing neglect, you will lose their respect, lower their morale, and quite possibly, see the knock-on effect in their productivity levels too.
4. Strive To Meet Their Needs
You are fast-tracking your business towards failure if you don’t care for your employees. As we have suggested, you might see a drop in their productivity because of their low morale.
You might face a hefty compensation claim if you are found guilty of treating them badly. And you might even lose your best employees to another firm.
So, think about your approach. Treat your employees with care and respect. Show equality in all aspects of your business. Find out what their needs are and strive to meet them. By doing so, they will look up to you. Their morale will be heightened.
And your employees will care about your business as much as you do, showing this in the work they do for you on a daily level. Oh, and they will be more inclined to pass on good word about you to others too!
Today then, consider your role in the workplace.
Do your employees look up to you?
We hope so, but if not, it might be time to make a few changes.
