How to Be A Good Boss

I dunno about you but I've seen many an occasion when the boss will totally screw any semblance of a private life the employee has. What gives? Does being a boss gives them unlimted rights to their employee's time? Do they have no respect for a person's private life? Don't even have basic courtesy or do they choose to ignore it and throw their weight around?

So in the off-chance that bosses regress to a level where they lose all common courtesy and simple respect for another individual, I have put together a list of what NOT to do to piss off your employees:


1. Do not call and ask about work as and when you please after office hours and weekends.

How would you like it if some smart aleck likes to call near midnight, during dinner or lunch hours on weekends and talk about work. It's okay if it is for a quick status update but not when you want to communicate your latest idea and talk for an hour or two.

Incredible as it may seem, your employees do have a private life. However inane it may be. It'll do you good to keep in mind that your employees do not actually sit by the phone waiting for you to call on them as if it is the highlight of their after work hours.


2. Do not expect that employees will always want to work on weekends or public holidays.

People need to have a break from time to time. If you fill up weekends with your projects and events that requires employees to attend, do not be surprised that your staff turnover rate is high. Not everyone enjoys working 24/7 and 7 days a week. Besides being your employee, people will still have to attend to other parts of their life e.g. being a son or daughter, being a girlfriend or boyfriend, being a mom or dad, etc.

Signing on the employment contract does not mean you own all of your workers hours. Even if you offer extra monetary compensation, it is always the employee's perogative to choose whether to work or not on off days. Nowhere in any logical contract does it state that one has to work whenever required to on off-days.


3. Never think that you know it all.

You may be the boss but you're human too and prone to mistakes. If you force your way on the employees and always think that you are right and never listen to any advise, then you may find that you will be surrounded by complete morons and yes-men only for workers. If you're lucky, you way may work but more often than not, you will find out that you really do not know it all - the hard way!


4. Don't treat your employees like you treat a dog.

People will make mistakes. They are only human. In the event that they do and you feel the need to reprimand them, do so in private. Hollering at your employee from halfway across the office and for all and sundry to hear is a surefire way to kill morale in the workplace. Not only is the one being hollered at lose morale, those within earshot will also suffer from low morale as they know that they may be at the same receiving end someday when they make a mistake. You cannot strip away a person's pride and dignity and hope to get good productivity from same said person. A dog may still wag its tail when they see you coming even after you holler at them but your employees are not dogs.


5. Don't expect your employees to be able to read your mind.

As much as your employees are not dogs, they are not mind readers in the least bit of sense. Never bark out cryptic and unclear orders and hope things will get done. Spell out what you want done precisely or at least give a clear outline. Don't say, "Get it done at all cost!" and then yell at the high cost the event incurred. If you have a specific budget, say so. Your employees cannot mind read and pluck the figure from your head.

Also don't expect your employees to be able to figure things out when you yourself do not have the faintest idea on how to accomplish it in the first place. If they are able to do so then they would not no longer be your employees. They would be your boss. At the very least, you have to point out the direction for them to get the necessary resources.


6. Never steal your employee's credit.

If you are fortunate enough to have bright people working under you, give credit where credit is due. Remember, if they are smart enough to solve problems for you, don't you think that they are able to tell when you steal their credit?

The above list is not exhaustive, of course. There are many other things that one need to be aware of if one wants to be a good boss. If you really want to know if you are a good boss or not, then ask yourself - If you had a boss like you, would you be happy working for such a boss?