Best Boss

T H E L I G H T
BEST
BOSS
Are You a Boss or a Manager?
In a 2017 survey, 44 percent of employees said a
boss has been the primary reason they have left a
job. This validates the old proverb that says
“people leave bad managers, not necessary bad
companies”. So, how do you retain talent, improve
production, and enhance customer service? The
first step is not hiring better people or developing
better processes, but becoming a better boss. This
month’s edition of the LIGHT is dedicated to
helping you become the Best Boss!
PEOPLE WITH PURPOSE
BUILD COMPETENCE
RECOGNIZING
ACHIEVEMENTS
COACH'S CORNER
AM I ABLE TO?
SELF ASSESSMENT
POWER OF FAILURE

People with Purpose
Purpose is a powerful motivator. It gives people something to connect with and strive
toward. This means best bosses will do anything to help employees understand how their
efforts contribute to the achievement of GSC's goals. The boss clearly understands the
vision of GSC and works to translate it into specific individual goals for each employee.
For many bosses, the scariest part of
encouraging ownership is giving up control
and accepting that others’ ideas may be as
good or effective as their own. It requires
self-confidence, a certain degree of tongueholding,
and the ability to support appropriate
risk-taking. It also requires bosses to
understand a certain contradiction about
power. (Kouzes and Posner, 1995).
Encourage Ownership
Giving up control however, doesn’t
mean letting go entirely. It means
providing the needed guidance without
telling people exactly what steps to
take or how to take them. Best bosses
know that clear communication,
collaboration, and support all
contributes to ownership. This ensures
that people are working together in
pursuit of departmental goals.
Smart Work
Work that is rampant with obstacles yield little progress and is de-energizing. Mundane and
seemingly irrelevant tasks can be frustrating. Focusing efforts on 'Smart Work' is about
maximizing employees’ ability to perform purposeful and valuable work. Another way to look
at this dimension is that best bosses clearly articulate the primary focus of the organization
(e.g., providing exceptional customer service) and encourage employees, in all they say and
do, to fulfill the mission (Dauten, 1999).

Build Competence
The development of one’s skills and abilities isn’t a switch that can be turned on
and off. In fact, quite the opposite is true. In today’s technologically advanced and
highly competitive workplace, learning needs to be viewed as an ongoing journey.
Best bosses understand that to remain valuable everyone needs to continuously
upgrade their
Leadership
skills and abilities.
is when your
vision,
and
Building Competence is about helping
employees take advantage of
opportunities to stretch, grow, and learn.
To do that, best bosses first make sure
that an employee’s current skills are up
to par by matching tasks to skill levels
and encouraging the employee to
complete assignments to high standards
(Thomas, 2000). Second, there needs to
be a plan for where you want them to
go. Assign the individual a task outside
of their comfort zone, something they
cannot break. If they do get it wrong, it
will not be irreputable to the team.
Unfamiliar responsibilities need to be
assigned in small doses. Lastly, there
needs to be a mutual interest in the
desire to grow.

Recognizing Achievements
Recognizing achievements means
acknowledging people’s contributions and
thereby validating their value to the
organization. A large part of recognizing
achievements falls within the framework of
managing performance. Best bosses work
with their employees to set expectations and
milestones. Then they make it their business
to stay informed about the employee’s
performance, providing support from the
beginning of the task until the end. When
milestones are achieved, best bosses
personally acknowledge them with
enthusiasm and genuine appreciation.
Respecting the Individual
While it might not be easy or expedient for a boss to do so, showing some
empathy, being non-judgmental, and assuming the best lays the foundation from
which trust, equality, and respect is born.
Best bosses have respect for
the skills, talents, and
abilities that employees bring
to the workplace everyday.
They also have respect for
the individual as a person.
This includes their
expectations, contributions,
and experiences. In other
words, best bosses respect
the human element. Respect
is reciprocal in nature: to get
it, one must give it. It’s not
important who starts the
giving process; only that
someone does start it.

Reading available
Further
the GSC Training
through
book of the month is from one of the most respected names in business
Our
leadership. The book gives a rare look at the specifics of how great
and
achieve "common purpose" and success within their organizations.
leaders
is common purpose? It happens the moment a team values objectives
What
unite in a way that enables people to work tirelessly toward a goal.
and
dmeeler@gscapts.com to request your copy today.
Contact
COACHES CORNER
Department

Am I Able To?
What separates a manager from a leader? In order
to become a better leader and boss for your team
you will want to self-assess and reflect.
Below are the five “Am I Able To”
statements that will expedite your
advancement.
1. There are only a
limited number of hours
in the day and many
things to get
accomplished. To
effectively lead a team
and manage people,
delegate. By delegating,
share your knowledge
and strategies for
completing certain tasks.
3. Being a leader is recognizing that your employees are the ones
who make the results happen. Giving credit to your people is an
important part of building trust and keeping your employees
engaged, two goals that every manager should have.
2. Best bosses display
patience and transfer
knowledge to their
employees in a way that
is empowering,
relatable, and
understandable.
4. A great leader separates the needs of the business from their
personal emotions in order to make objective decisions. They ask,
“Is this good for the company?”
5. Constructive criticism is an important part of an employee’s development as a
professional and an individual. Are you able to tell someone what they did wrong without
sounding insensitive, rude, or disrespectful? Giving feedback the right way, in the right form,
and at the right time, is a critical skill in leading people.

Self-Assessment
Read each statement below, add up you total points, and use the scale provided to
indicate your management philosophy.

Self-Assessment
Notes:
I identify with
I will work on

The Power of Failure:
The long-term success of a team depends upon how it deals with failure. Each setback
or failure should be viewed as a learning opportunity and explored by the team. The
purpose is not to attribute blame, but to examine the causes and to devise a
mechanism that prevents the failure from reoccurring. Here are the five common
causes of failure:
1. Confused and Conflicting Goals:
When team members do not understand
or share the common goal, then they do
not work in harmony.
2. Unresolved Roles:
When team members are not clear about
their roles and responsibilities. They lack a
sense of accountability and might not
complete their task.
3. Lack of Team Trust:
When team members do not trust
each other or their team leaders,
they undermine the team's efforts.
They might withhold or doubt
information, and that will only
prevent tasks from moving
forward smoothly.
4. Lack of Communication: 5. Negative attitudes:
If team members do not share
their ideas and concerns, the
team will not be able to make
informed decisions.
It’s important to maintain a
certain amount of critical
objectivity. When making
decisions and exploring
options, it is detrimental to the
team if a critical or negative
attitude prevails.

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