2 Fantastic Tools Used By the Best Bosses

I returned to book club yesterday after a two year hiatus. A new book lover joined the group since I left, and I ended up sitting next to her. We enjoyed a great meal at Hill Country Barbecue and spirited discussion about this month’s book selection. And of course, current events like our opinion of the latest Republican debate and #OscarsSoWhite.

As the discussion continued, the subject of work and bosses was raised and our newest member told a story about a recent experience in her workplace. She works at a state government agency and a number of temporary employees were being notified that their employment was ending just a few days before Christmas. The manager informing the employees of their fate was quite happy to be handling this duty, in the most Cruella De Vil kind of way.

Our book club friend explained that there is a group of managers at the job who have moved up the ranks in the organization. This particular manager is a part of that group. These supervisors feel that because the people who used to manage them were not very nice to them, that they have the same right to be mean to people below them on the org chart now that they are leaders.

I know these were temporary employees, but it is still important to treat people kindly. The most important relationship we have at work is with our boss. The employees who watched this behavior had been impacted by observing their management behave in this manner. No one wants to be managed by people who don’t care about other people’s feelings.

Really good bosses know there are two tools that should be relied upon when working with their team, whether they are permanent or temporary staff. The first is gratitude. Showing appreciation to your team, especially if you have to perform a tough task, is important.

The second tool is that of kindness. Managers often have to tackle an unpleasant duty when providing corrective action or termination of an employee. The tone and choice of words can make all the difference when you have to give someone really bad information. Appearing to relish the duty is just bad business.

Having been on the giving and receiving end of this unfortunate responsibility, I can tell you from personal experience that if someone finds firing a person easy, they probably aren’t the most caring boss on the planet. But sometimes in a business it’s inevitable. Using gratitude for the contribution that’s been made and kindness in the manner in which you handle the separation can make a big difference in how the employees left behind perceive you as a boss.

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