It is typical for any job to have superiors. This is essentially part of the chain of command. Having this chain helps with how tasks are assigned and completed. It is essentially a system of efficiency.
Superiors, who are often called bosses, are not necessarily positively viewed by their subordinates. Even the word boss has negative connotations to it. This dislike can be associate with several things that bosses do to their employees.
Bosses hold more authority than their subordinates, and they tend to mismanage this authority. Thus, these bosses might treat their subordinates poorly. A study even found out that 57% of employees quit their jobs because of their superiors.
A Cause for Workplace Friction
Of course, this disharmony between workers and their superiors can essentially cause friction in the workplace. This heavily and negatively affects the job satisfaction of employees. It can be stressful to deal with a bad boss.
Sowing Fear
Some superiors think that sowing fear in the hearts of their employees can cause them to work better. But fear is never a good motivator. It will only cause employees to be unhappy about going to work.
People who are not happy with their jobs are bound to be unproductive. Workers who were unhappy with their jobs were 10% less productive. Meanwhile, people who were happier when working were 13% more productive.
With that, superiors and their subordinates need to work together harmoniously. Of course, this can be hard to do. Superiors control and authority over their employees. And this fact may not sit well with the people under their responsibility.
This is why superiors need to learn how to be good bosses. Their actions hold more influence over the people they manage. They can do more to help their employees and the overall workplace.
The Good Boss
The first thing that superiors need to do is to scrap the idea that they are above their employees. This mentality is toxic and harmful. And it gives out the idea that subordinates are lesser than the boss, which is never true.
Being a Good Leader
For one, good superiors are leaders. They do not work above their employees; they work alongside them. Good leaders take action and help people accomplish their goals through rational and ethical means.
They have clear goals and are determined to achieve those goals with the people they work with. It is a massive responsibility. This makes it a difficult position to be in.
The good thing is leadership skills can be learned. These skills can be taught and honed through corporate leadership training. Leaders are made, and they can be significant assets for any company.
Encouraging Growth
Influential superiors also help their employees grow. They facilitate growth and development in their professional and sometimes personal careers. Superiors should be a guide to their employees.
Good superiors help employees learn more about the work that they do. This helps build skills among employees. Also, it helps widens their knowledge about their careers. Superiors should be a stepping stone towards growth.
Providing Honest and Constructive Feedback
Of course, to facilitate growth, people need to learn how to be honest. This comes in the form of giving accurate and truthful feedback to employees. Of course, this feedback needs to be constructive.
Being truthful and constructive essentially helps employees improve their work. This can elevate the quality of the work being done and improve employees’ work ethic. This is never an easy thing to do. But leaders should be courageous enough to point out improvements.
Receiving Feedback
If bosses need to learn how to give truthful feedback, they should also learn how to receive it. Superiors will never be perfect. They need to know how to take criticism from their employees.
Employees are a great source of ideas. Superiors should learn how to listen to these ideas and pieces of feedback. Of course, they should not stop at listening alone. They should act on it as well. This ultimately helps the organization as a whole and the relationships between the boss their employees.
Showing Empathy
Good bosses should also practice empathy. They should have an idea about what their employees are going through and understand their experiences. This helps them learn more about how to help their employees.
This will lead to a better understanding of the employees as people. Empathy can also help improve the relationship between the superior and their employees. This ultimately helps the job satisfaction of the people in the organization.
Superiors should realize that they are a role model for the people they work with. With that, they should learn how to act like one. A good boss can be of great help to the life of the employees and can ensure that a company can reach its goals.
