What Makes Your Good Boss - Good
I had a string of bad bosses early in my professional life who seemed to think their titles gave them permission to pass the buck and blame all failures on their subordinates, while taking credit for work they did not do.
In 1981 I got a job as a word processor. My boss, Nadene Delaney was wonderful! She worked hard and set a great example and she shared her knowledge and experience freely. When I did something wrong, instead of criticizing my work, she explained why it was a problem and how to do it better. She mentored me - not shadowed me. When I did a good job she made sure I got the credit.
The Impact Your Good Boss Has on Your Work
Mrs. Delaney praised me and gave me credit for good work so I worked even harder. I felt appreciated. Because she was so willing to share her management skills I grew a lot under her employment.
She told me to grow I should actually read what I was typing - not just type it. Because of her advice and encouragement I learned a lot about management, business, contract law, and financial accounting, as well as about corporations and board governance.
Today, I am CEO of a national-level corporation (I founded) and Mrs. Delaney actually sits on the board! We have both come a long way from the days of being word processors. Her advice to learn from what you are doing, not to just do it mechanically was gold.
Tips and Tricks
- To grow your business, you also have to "grow" your employees. It is precisely because they work for you, that you should work with them.
