Almost 25 years ago, an article in ‘Business’ magazine described the ten qualities employees most wanted their bosses to possess. A lot has changed in the world since then, but these (with some updating by me) still look good.
1. Establishing organization clarity
a. Establishing clear goals and standards
b. Communicating group (not just individual) goals
c. Involving people in setting goals (not just dictating them)
d. Delegate responsibility clearly
2. Encouraging open, two-way communication
a. Open and candid when dealing with people
b. Honest, direct and to the point
c. Establishing a climate of openness and trust
3. Willingness to coach and support people
a. Supportive and helpful
b. Working constructively (and decisively) to correct performance problems
c. Going to bat for subordinates
4. Providing ‘objective’ recognition
a. Recognize good performance more often than criticizing performance problems
b. Tying rewards to excellence of job performance (vs seniority or personal relationships)
5. Establishing ongoing controls
a. Following up in a timely manner
b. Giving ‘real-time’ feedback on how subordinates are doing
6. Selecting (and keeping) the right people
a. Both bringing the ‘right’ people on and exiting those who don’t fit
7. Understanding the financial implications of decisions
8. Encouraging innovation and new ideas
a. Surprisingly, this was seen as important regardless of how conservative or traditional the company
9. Making decisions and ensuring the organization executes successfully
10. Demonstrating high levels of integrity
a. Doing the ‘right’ thing, both internally an externally
Anything you would add or omit? Which one is the most important to you?
Tags: alignment, Best Business Advice, COO, employee engagement, employee morale, execution, Leadership, smart teams, team building
These are still right on target. You saved the most important for last…integrity.
We have just gone through a period that clearly demonstrates what a lack of integrity can do to an entire nation….and the world. Would love to see you write a whole blog on just integrity. We can not emphasize it too much. Good thoughts and input Amelia. Thanks.
To elaborate on #1…
Take responsibility for lack of clarity. A job might be done “incorrectly” due to misinterpretation of a boss’s ambiguous message. That’s not the employee’s fault. Rather than remedying undesired effects, a good boss seeks to understand the root causes of problems.
I also think it’s important for a boss to not be afraid of hiring people who are better and more versed in a given field. Constantly bringing on “inferior” people just to maintain authority hinders maximum productivity within a business.