7 Ways You Can Be a Better Boss to Your Employees

There are many factors that can determine your employees’ level of productivity. One of the most important yet neglected of these is how well they are treated by their boss. It may surprise you just how influential this is. On study showed that 70% of employee productivity and engagement depends on their manager.

Leadership doesn’t come easily to everyone. Whether you inherited your business through family or you worked your way up the career ladder, you can’t run a company successfully without being a good boss. Managing your employees well and taking care of their personal and professional growth can make a big difference to your company’s success.

Are you struggling to be a good boss to your employees? These 7 simple tips will help!

1. Improve Your Communication Skills

Miscommunication is arguably the most common reason behind issues in the workplace. Poor communication can easily cause missed deadlines, mistakes, and general inefficiency. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to provide clear and concise instructions for each assigned task or project. Communication skills, like any type of skill, can be learnt. Make the effort to work on this skill set.

Building good relationships with your staff will also help to improve your communication channels. If you get on well with your employees, they will feel comfortable approaching you when they have doubts or questions, which can greatly help to avoid miscommunication.

2. Focus on Motivation

If you want your employees to be more productive and perform better, motivation is key. The daily grind can be wearing, and so it’s important to focus on keeping your staff motivated. There are a range of ways you can keep your employees motivated, such as awards and financial incentives.

However, sometimes the simplest motivation techniques are the most effective. Two of the most powerful motivating factors are feeling valued and part of something greater. Show your employees how much you value them, even if it is with a simple thank you, and always emphasize how their work is contributing to the bigger goals of your business.

3. Listen More

Of course, every boss needs to share their knowledge and advice with their team to help improve performance. However, this doesn’t mean you should only talk, as this will have an impact on your employees’ ability to perform when you’re not there. If you make all the decisions, your employees will depend entirely on you.

An important part of becoming a better boss is listening more. Ask your employees to share their views and offer suggestions about how things can be improved. Involve them in the decision-making process – not only will this make them feel valued, but it could also help you build a stronger business.

4. Work on Employees’ Feedback

If you don’t listen to your employees’ feedback, you will never really know what your strengths, weaknesses, and the areas you can improve are. Employees might feel hesitant to voice their feedback directly to you. So, it’s a good idea to set up a feedback box where staff members can submit feedback anonymously.

You can open this box every two or three months and use the feedback to create a better working environment for your team. For example, if your employees don’t feel safe at work, you can install CCTV cameras and other security tools to improve security.

5. Lighten Up

Google is the best example of an ideal workplace for employees. From recreation rooms to free food, companies like Google have gone the extra mile to make their workplace better. That being said, not every boss will be okay with their employees bringing their kids and pets to work. You may not have the budget to offer free food or transportation either.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to lighten up the workplace. Even simple steps like extending deadlines, offering extended maternity or paternity leave, and helping your employees financially during difficult times can make you a better boss.

6. Don’t Play the Blame Game

Mistakes are normal. Anyone can make mistakes, regardless of your seniority or level of experience, and your employees are no exception. Instead of blaming them for poor work, you should make an effort to understand the issues they are facing. That doesn’t mean you should overlook every mistake: tactfully raise the mistake with them, ask them about the context, and help them to make sure they don’t make the same mistake again.

7. Set an Example

A great leader is someone who treats their employees like colleagues and aims to set an example. If you want your employees to strictly adhere to deadlines, be extra conscientious yourself when it comes to meeting deadlines. If you don’t want your employees to turn up late to work, make sure that you don’t do this yourself.

There is no magic trick that will let you become a better boss overnight. It takes dedication, hard work, empathy, and good communication skills to become the leader your employees want and need.