Are You A Motivating Boss?

By Marcia Zidle on April 9, 2013

Figuring out what your people want can feel like an intricate puzzle especially when different employees require different things.

However, there are basic things that most employees want from their boss.

At a recent workshop, I asked people: “What makes a great boss – someone who can lead and motivate you”?  Here’s what they said about how to encourage everyone to do their best work:

1.Tell me my role and your expectations.
This is not micro-managing. It’s called clear direction. It gives people focus and accountability

2. Give me some autonomy.
Give them something interesting to work on and trust them with this opportunity.That doesn’t mean you give a brand new person the most difficult account; rather something that will stretch her and not cause major problems.

3. Discipline those who are out of line.
I often hear this: “I wish my boss would tell James that this is just unacceptable.” Letting a “star” employee do whatever he wants really hurts the morale of the team.

4. Recognize and praise what I do.
Everyone wants to be recognized when they’ve done something right. You can motivate employees by highlighting their strengths and not harping on their weaknesses.

5. Don’t lose your temper.
It’s generally not productive and it’s not good leadership. It sets up “kill the messenger” syndrome which means your people will be afraid to tell you critical information.

6. Tell me when I make a mistake.
Give employees clear and constructive feedback on areas they need to improve or when they go off track. Don’t wait until you are about to fire them. It’s not right and it may not be legal.

7. Get me excited.
Indecisive leaders, or those who keep changing direction, frustrate and make people feel uninspired. Tell them where we’re going, how we’re going to get there and how important they are for success.

Management Success Tip:

It’s very easy to get swamped with your daily activities and forget to execute the basic fundamentals of leading others. The results will be a less productive team and more work for you. It’s worth reviewing these seven tips weekly to make sure you are a great motivating boss.

Do you want to develop your Management Smarts?