How to be a nicer boss

It’s hard being the boss and often we get negative press from our staff members so I hope the tips below help out.

Learn to accept that your staff will make mistakes

You may be a perfectionist and your own worse critic but your staff normally don’t own the business so they will not have as much buy-in as you do.

People make mistakes so its vital that you don’t scold or show your frustration when someone stuffs up. Learn to address the issue and work with the staff member to provide solutions so the mistake does not have a chance to appear again.

A mistake is often a sign that there is something wrong with a business process so its more than likely not the staff members fault anyway.

Don’t yell or swear

This is a hard one for me as I spent my 20’s in the military and my 30’s in a professional kitchen – both lean towards heavy swearing and yelling as both are (still) considered male domains – where men-are-men. Swearing in these domains is often considered a sign of respect or being accepted as a team member.

I had to reprogram myself when I became a business owner and understand that most people do not respond well to being yelled at in the ‘civilian’ world.

If you are frustrated with something that happened at work the best thing to do is get out of the office and walk around the block. You will be amazed at how fast the negative energy is diffused by this simple act of removing yourself from that environment.

Reward good work

Its important that you praise your staff for good work. Don’t go overboard so the staff member thinks you’re ‘coming on to them’ but show appreciation for their effort – even a simple “that’s great work!” is enough for the staff member to feel part of the team.

Don’t have favorites

At school no one liked the ‘teachers pet’ and it continues onto the office. Having a favorite staff member is not good for the team moral and breeds jealousy that can lead to bad behavior and rumors. Treat all staff members as equal and a rule I learned in the kitchens – “don’t screw the crew” – should never be broken.

Keep healthy

Stress is reduced and managed when you’re fit and healthy. Make sure you exercise every second day or 3 days a week minimum.

One of the ways I climatized myself to the civilian world after the institutionalized aggressiveness of the military and professional kitchens was to exercise daily. This made me happier and able to handle more stress.

Lead by example

The phase “do as I say not as I do” is BS. Never have two sets of rules in your office – one for the boss and one for the staff.

You are part of the team and in some ways considered by your staff as being on the same level as them. You are the leader of course and you need to act like one but at the same time you should not give off the smell of arrogance.

Its hard to explain in writing but just watch the great sports teams and when they interview the captain he/she always talks about the team effort not what individuals did on the field. The captain is always right in the action with the rest of the team.

One example I have seen in business is the senior management sitting with the staff not hiding in an office.