Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Week 6, Characteristics of a good boss

In business, you can think of a work unit as being the team and the boss as being the team leader. Even business owners and freelancers have bosses. A business owner has a boss when he or she works with a client to provide the service, item or benefit. An example would be an independent carpenter. A good boss for the carpenter would be a homeowner who clearly communicates what is needed and does not change the project halfway. A freelancer (whether a writer, graphic designer, temporary staff, or other professional) works for project leaders. My editor at the Dunn County News is a good boss because she gives me clear instructions and then lets me complete the assignment on my own. She also appreciates the work I do for her and is generous in praising my writing. For example, she told me once how much she appreciates that she doesn't need to edit or rewrite my articles.


Read this article on http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/11/09/good.boss.advice.cb/index.html Describe a boss or leader you’ve had who is a good boss. Give an example that illustrates what specific quality made him or her a good boss.

31 comments:

  1. I think a good boss has to be very patient and a good listener. Also, I think a boss has to be able to solve many different problems and answer a variety of questions. Knowledge of the job and being creative are good factors in problem solving; therefore a boss will be able to know what they are talking about in a worker's perspective when trying to answer a question or resolve an issue.

    I worked in a factory for about 3 years with the same boss. He was, in my opinion, a great guy to work for. I believe he was fair in critiquing me and the rest of his workers. He gave us tips as a group and/or individually to make our work performance better. Many of my co-workers had respect for him, including myself. He was easy to talk to if I had a work related issue. He also helped come up with ways to resolve an issue or concern by helping out in the department. As a result, our department mostly always showed a much higher percentage in production than other departments. I always heard people talking about their own supervisors in a negative way; however I rarely heard people talk about my supervisor negatively.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I believe that to be a good boss they have to be able to communicate well and respect the employees. One thing that really bugs me when it comes to bossess is when they throw a huge fit about something whether it is work or personal. Bosses should be able to control this and even when upset they need to be calm.

    One of my current bosses is a boss that I really respect. He is a branch manager at the bank I work at and he knows so much about what he has does. He is always willing to help me understand something more when I'm confused. He stays fairly cool when something goes bad. Our branch is very organized and professional because of him. He believes in having good communication with our customers and I beleive that is the more important thing. Another thing that makes me feel more comfortable at work is when he has a project for me is thanks me over and over for helping him out. This makes me feel like I am really wanted and needed at work.

    ReplyDelete
  3. As of right now I have 4 bosses. They all treat me as if I were family which I find very important. When working for them I don't feel like an emmployee but more as a close friend or equal. I believe that that is one of the most important qualitites a boss could have. Not only do they treat me as a equal but they treat me with respect which I also find to be very important.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I believe a good boss needs to be an active listener and communicate effectively to all the employees. I also think a boss needs to show experience, knowledge, and have the ability in all areas of the workplace.
    My current boss is a very good boss. I have the utmost respect for him due to him showing respect towards all of us in the lab. I have not once, in the four years of working with him, have heard him raise is voice to anyone. He has a way of confronting someone who has made an error and they come away knowing exactly what it was that was wrong, explaining why it isn't exceptable, and how to correct it so it doesn't happen again.
    My boss gives me things to do that usually a four year degree tech does. It's great when he helps me expand my knowledge and responsibilities around the work area.
    I have learned alot from my boss and I have a great deal of respect for him. I hope, if in a supervisory position, I'll have the patience and integrity that I've experienced with him.

    ReplyDelete
  5. At one of my current job, I have an excellent boss. I have been working here since I was fourteen. I started as a dishwasher and worked as hard as I could. He always encourages me and he always sees my hard work. Many times he would hand me ten dollars on the side to show his appreciation of my work. After two years, he promoted me to be a server. He upgraded my pay and had me working more hours. If I ever need a day off he is more than willing to find someone to take my place. It is great to have a good relationship with your boss and co-workers because it makes your job much more relaxed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I feel that one of the best working environments is where the employees and their bosses treat each other with respect. For me, there is nothing worse than having a boss who talks down to me. At my age, I have been in the situation where my boss is much younger than I am. This has not been a problem for me unless I am spoken to in a condescending manner. It does not mean I have limited intelligence just because I am not the boss.

    The best boss I ever had was one who had respect for his employees, asked for their feedback, and worked elbow to elbow with the rest of us. Simply communicating with employees and letting them know how things are going with the business makes the employee feel like an important asset. When the boss digs in and "gets his hands dirty", it commands respect from his employees.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Qualities a good boss should possess are being an excellent communicator, being able to make to make smart business decisions, set examples, being able to praise or redirect,and treat all employees with respect. My current boss displays all of these. First of all, he is the first one in to work everyday and the last one to leave; he is even in the office on the weekends. This shows me he is truly dedicated to the success of his company. In between his meetings, his door is always open for every employee to come in and share ideas with him or just talk. He is excellent about letting every employee share their ideas and is very open to this. Every idea may not be implemented but he still listens and hears what you have to say. In return, he will provide you with feedback by sharing success or nonsuccessful stories regarding his past business experiences. If you have not stopped in to see him, he will come around to your workspace and ask how things are going or what he could be doing better to help us be more efficient. My boss will also ask how you are doing, if you have any plans for the weekend, or how your weekend was. He doesn't go overboard and get too personal but it is nice that he seems to be happy when I tell him the things I have done. It is great to hear directly from him that I am a hard worker and a great asset to the company or that I should be Mom of the year for everything I do with my son. I truly have learned a lot from him and by him showing me respect, I have twice as much respect for him.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I believe that a very important characteristic of a good boss is not to show favoritism. One who is knowledgeable and can give you constructive criticism without looking down at you as if he were better than you.
    I think that one of the best bosses that I have ever had is one I had at a trucking company I worked for. He treated all the employee's in our department equal. If we were doing a good job he would acknowledge it. If we had a particularly busy week he would buy lunch for us to show his appreciation. I think that when a boss treats you good and shows his appreciation it makes you strive to keep trying to excel in you job.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have had a few different types of bosses. The best boss i had did her job great and also got the respect back from her employees for being that way. She did her job as the boss for the company well as also making sure us employees were doing the job right for the company. She was nice to all of us and could communicate effectively. Don't get me wrong though just because she was nice did not mean she was not being our boss. She also had it through our minds that even though we could treat her like a friend, at work she was still our boss and she would not treat any of us any different. Sometimes it's hard to believe your boss when they are like this. But this boss knew her limits and the type of relationships she had with us. Also another good trait she had was motivation. She was a hard worker and showed it. So she expected us to do the same because she did not get high up on the chain by being lazy. She was a great boss.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have had a few different types of bosses so far. Some were bad but most of them were good managers that I learned from. My current boss is a good example of a good boss. Everyday we have "huddles", which is our whole team gets together and goes over what our goals are for the day. The best quality that she has though is how she motivates us to get things done and too reach our sales goals. She will make up games and have rewards for those who reach there goals, which makes all of us work harder for them. Another good quality about her is that when one of us has a question about something she usually won't tell us the answer but where to find the answer. That way we are learning instead of just finding out the answer and forgetting about it. Those are just a couple examples of how she is a good boss.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The best boss I’ve ever had is the first year I worked construction. I was 15 years old at the time and knew nothing. My job duties pretty much consisted of cleaning up and moving lumber around. As time went by he would slowly teach me new things and let my job duties expand. All along the way he was never negative about anything, even if I messed up. Through his positive attitude it created a good work ethic for me and made me want to learn. So, the more I learned the more valuable I was at the job site.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mostly, there have not been many bosses that I have enjoyed working for. If I were pick through them to find the best, I guess I would say Greg. Greg was my manager at Target. Although there were a couple of levels of management between us, he was always willing to help and not pass us low-level employees off to another manager. My favorite part of working under him was that he was always willing to listen. Even the lowest level worker could talk to him if there was an issue or a problem. He made you feel like your opinion mattered. I would say that that is the rarest quality in any manager. Of all the jobs and all the bosses I have had since I was fifteen years old Greg was the only one with that quality. Because of the impression it had on me, it is a quality that I aspire to whenever I am in a leadership position.

    ReplyDelete
  14. A boss should have respect for his/her employees. I feel that in today's work environments bosses should use upward flow to get the ideas of their employees. Upward flow creates a more open communication stream and puts everyone of the same playing field.

    One of the best bosses that I have ever had, asked for input from his employees on a monthly basis. He didn't just read the suggestions or hear them but he made an effort to solve or better these situations. Not everything could be changed, but if it couldn't he would let us know why. It was a great place to be a part of because as an employee you felt like you were making the company become what it is today.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have worked for quite a few different people, and their own personalities and work skills have differed greatly. One person who I had worked for a number of years ago was negitive with almost every aspect of everything that I had done. That was a place where I ended up not liking much at all, but I actually hated going to work each and every day. The last job that I had at the locker plant was very good. Although I was working for multiple people, they actually praised me for doing jobs well, and above and beond what I had to. Even though at times it was difficult with having so many people in charge of me, it was a great place to work and if I needed a sick or personal day, the guys were understanding and flexable around my scedule.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I believe that the most important thing for a boss to do is to make their employees like to come to work. The best ways that a boss can do that is to always offer positive reinforcement for a job well done. Create an enjoyable culture to work in by making work not seem like work. Finally, make mistakes an opportunity to teach and educate, which will help your employees grow to become better employees and they will get more satisfaction out of their work. A satisfied employee is a happy employee.

    The best boss that I ever had was the first boss I ever had. I started the job in high school and really knew nothing about the business. My job was to stock shelves, count inventory, and clean the store. When it was slow I could answer the phone and help customers because the boss was there to help me. He taught me how to find the answers to the questions that the customers would ask of me. From that I learned how to look up parts, how to work on cars, and how to help customers. I was very happy most days and loved going to work.

    ReplyDelete
  17. It's very simple, a good boss should do, or be directly involved with, everything the employees are doing. They also need to show respect in order to get respect. I have been a boss in two jobs, the ARMY and in my current job. There is not one task I would ask my employees to do if I haven't already done it. I look at it like this, if the boss doesn't know how to do the task, then how does he know the employee is completing it correctly.

    ReplyDelete
  18. The best boss I had was when I started working at McDonald's at 15. She was really good person because she geniunely cared about her employees. An example of this is when we had family or medical issues she was willing to give us the day off even if we could not give a two hr notice before our shifts. She also would reward with a treat of some sort for a job well done. If we had a really busy hectic day the next morning she would stop and get donuts for us on her way to work the next morning.
    She was more than a boss to me. She is still one of my closest friends today. She gave me a personal christmas gift every year for all the times I went up and beyond my duties for her. She is truly one of the greatest people I have ever met. She really cared about us and would help us out in any way she could.
    The one day I was supposed to have off for a school event and I came into work for her after it was done, she gave me a free meal for coming in. Since she did not know how long I would work that day she told my mom that she would take me home when I was done. She did not care that I lived a half hour away from our store and outside of eau claire. I truly appreciate everything she has done for me in my first job and for shaping me into a great employee for any business to have.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I believe a good boss should be able to help out his workers and to be able to communicate. I have had many bosses over the last 18 years, and only one boss would actually work out on the floor side by side with his employees, he knew every resident and family member by name. He always had an open door policy and would listen to anyone who had a problem and would help them come up with a solution.

    ReplyDelete
  20. The best boss I have had was when I was working at the Goodwill in Rice Lake. She knew that I would rather be in back doing other things than be upfront being a cashier. She would always come get me from the registers and find me something to do in the back. I felt that she was a good boss because she wanted to make me happy and see me happy doing something that I would rather be doing than see me complain about being on the registers.

    ReplyDelete
  21. My description of good boss is like a combination of everyone else. They have to be a good communicator, treat everyone equally, and help out employees when they need it. Those qualities match the best boss I had. She was really good at communicating to us about what going on around us. She also new everyone’s capabilities and help us out whenever we need it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. The best boss I've ever had was the first one I had. Little did I know at the time because I was only 16, but she was a great and effecient boss. Suzie was her name, and she was a great boss becuase she knew her employees and their needs. She could be stearn with employees one minute and ask for something to get done, and then the next minute you could just have a normal conversation with her. She was always an approachable person because of her attitude towards her employees. The qualities that she had made her a great boss, and I didn't even know it at the time.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I feel the qualities a good boss should have is to be understanding to your family issues and work related issues. They should have a positive attitude and not yell at you in front of your co-workers. They should also be knowlegeable and organized. Another quality is to be fair to all their employees and not show favoritism.
    The best boss I had is when I worked at Cray Research. She was very understanding if you had to call into work because your children were sick or because of bad weather she would not give you an un-excused absence. She always had a positive attitude and she treated everyone the same. Also if you were training on a new job she would say what a great job you were doing and this made you feel great, and I didn't mind going to work because I was appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I have had a few good bosses, but one sticks out more then others. I was working for an insurance and investment company, and my boss was the top manager at this branch. What made her such a good boss, is the fact that she had very good communication skills. For this job, good communication skills are key, because when we sit down with a client, we have to try and sell them. No two people are the same, and so this makes it harder to try and sell to everyone, but she could always do it. No matter how difficult the person, she could convince them to let us come back and bring them some numbers. Also I actually have learned that she has been promoted and is going to be opening her own office soon. Good hard work always pays off in the end.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I've had many bosses over the years, but only a few I would call "good". The best boss I ever had was a man I worked with shoeing horses. I worked for him for over 8yrs., and still help him out when I can. He is extremely good at what he does, and is an effective communicator about how he likes things done. He paid well, and always appreciated the help.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I, unfortunately, do not have any good examples of a good boss because I am singled out of a group most of the time for some reason. I know a good boss would not go that to his team members or his employees.

    ReplyDelete
  27. The article brings up very good points. I think the single most important thing is communication. A good boss gives you space and time to get your job done. My supervisor is an example of a good boss. He makes sure I have the tools I need to get my job done and communicates tasks very effectively. When we get really busy at work, he is not sitting in the office with the door shut, instead, he leads by example. I receive encouragement when I am struggling and praise for a job well done. Even good bosses have their moments where they might get a little power hungry. You should be able to trust a good boss and believe they have your best interest in mind.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I worked at a gas station here in town and the manager was such an inspiration to me. She wasn’t like most managers, who would only tell us what to do. She would at times do the tasks that were assigned to us. She helps us get things done. When we were behind on our tasks she would complain and scold, but then help us with it. I found myself working harder for her because of that.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I have worked for the ambulance since I was 18, and still in high school. My manager isn't like most managers, she is an inspiration to the whole ambulance crew. When there is a though call that we get sent on , she makes sure that she is there to talk to us in case we need it. She also meets with local schools, and talks to kids about drinking and driving and the after math that could happen. My manger is someone whom I would like to be someday loving, caring, inspiring, and helping.

    ReplyDelete
  30. A boss in my opinion is someone who sets a good example for employees. A boss is someone who is there to be there for his employees. I waitressed for 7 years. I had two bosses, they were a married couple. I really enjoyed working for them. They expected the most out of me, being the only waitress. I never dreaded going to work becuase of them. Whenever I had a question I was never scared to ask. They were always understanding and helpful. On very busy days they would sometimes seem frustrated but, I never took it to heart. They both set great examples for me and I valued being their employee for as long as I was.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I had a really good boss when I worked at Luther Hospital. The things I thought made him a good boss were, his open door policy, his honesty and trust and the way he involved all of his employees in important decision makings. He would always be willing to talk through a situation or a problem and I could trust he would never put me in an uncomfortable situation to respond to the situation or problem. He was also very prompt at responding to questions or concerns and would always make sure things went smooth.

    ReplyDelete