When supervisors are wrong

Why do supervisors behave badly with their subordinates? Because most supervisors, managers, foremen/women, department heads, executives and even CEOs of companies do not receive the basic training necessary to successfully supervise others; unfortunately, an MBA degree does not teach you this skill.

Here are some of the things that supervisors do that earn them a bad name:

• Embarrass their staff by disciplining them in front of workmates or clients.
• Label staff’s behaviour [stupid, dumb] or make sarcastic remarks, instead of trying to correct the actual behaviour of the staff member.
• Don’t give recognition for a job well done; concentrate on the 2 per cent of the things their staff do incorrectly, instead of the 98 per cent they do well.
• When dealing with customer complaints, they don’t back up their staff and don’t give employees a chance to tell their side of the story before acting. The manager can always say to the client, “Let me investigate this and I’ll get back to you.”
• Don’t provide an up-to-date job description with key performance indicators and standards of performance for the tasks performed by their staff.
• Don’t provide the necessary training to fill the gap between job requirements and employee’s skills.
• Conduct performance appraisals on staff without a proper job description upon which to base their evaluation; if the employee doesn’t know what’s expected of him/her, and the supervisor doesn’t know either—how can a fair evaluation of the performance be conducted?
• Have one set of company rules for staff, another for themselves. Bend the rules when clients go over the head of front-line staff, causing embarrassment for staff members.
• No set policy and procedure manuals available; rules and regulations of the company are not clearly defined.
• Harass staff [either through bullying or sexual harassment].
• Do nothing to improve the employee’s interest in their jobs. Some are afraid their staff is now ready to compete for their job, so do as little as possible to develop their skills for their next step up. It’s a proven fact that more supervisors are not promoted because there is nobody prepared to take over their existing job.
• Are not available when their staff needs their help; say they have an “open door policy” but are always “too busy” to deal with their staff’s problems.
• Won’t listen to their staff’s suggestions about better ways to complete tasks. The person doing the job normally has the best ideas on how to do the job better, faster, and more efficiently.
• Are perfectionists and expect everything to be done perfectly. Just because they can do the job in 10 minutes [they have 15 years experience] they expect the newcomer to do it in the same amount of time and with the same level of accuracy.
• Nepotism [hiring relatives and close friends].

If this describes the actions of your supervisors/managers, quitting your job is not the only way out. And if it’s you making these mistakes, well, you know what needs to be done.

It’s a proven fact that more supervisors are not promoted because there is nobody prepared to take over their existing job

So what can an employee do?

Complain—that’s what you can do! Learn how to use feedback to let your boss know what his/her behaviour is doing to you. This takes nerve, but most bosses will respect you for having the courage to do so. For example, if your boss has disciplined you publicly, wait until s/he has calmed down and ask for five minutes of his/her time. Say something like, “I have a problem, and I need your help in solving it. Last week, you criticised me three times in front of my co-workers. I felt very humiliated and demoralised. In the future, could I ask you to save those kinds of comments for when we can have some privacy?”

A boss who calls you names

Monica’s supervisor labelled her as stupid and dumb. So she decided to approach her about this privately. She said to her, “I have a problem, and I need your help in solving it. On my performance appraisal, you put down that you didn’t like my attitude, but when I asked for specifics you refused to give them to me. As well, the last few times you’ve corrected my work, you’ve said that I was ‘stupid’ and ‘dumb’. I’m upset that you’ve given me those labels and I don’t know how to improve my performance or what you really want from me.”

Her supervisor was listening to her intently, so Monica went on, “I’d like to go back to the comment from the performance appraisal about my ‘attitude’. What did I do wrong that you objected to?”

Her supervisor replied, “Well, you were rude to the client who walked in yesterday.” [Rude is another label that does not discuss her behaviour.]

“What specifically did I say to that client that was rude?”

“You told her that you had better things to do with your time other than listen to her constant complaints.”

Now Monica has something tangible that she could deal with and change.

Learn how to use feedback to let your boss know what his/her behaviour is doing to you

A boss who is irresponsible

A receptionist’s task was to take and pass on telephone messages to the managers in her office. Mr Bailey had called asking for Mr Smith four times, and the receptionist had placed the messages on his desk throughout the day. She knew that Mr Smith wasn’t very busy that day and had ample time to answer the messages.

The fifth time Mr Bailey called, he accused the receptionist of not passing on his messages. She’d had enough of her boss’s poor business practice and decided to speak to him to see if she could correct the situation. She said to him, “I have a problem, and I need your help in solving it [always a great opening line]. Mr Bailey called in and left messages for you five times today. The last time he phoned, he accused me of not passing his messages on to you. What should I tell him the next time he calls?” This way, she dumped the problem into the lap of the person causing it.

Precautions while handling a difficult boss

Before you decide to say anything to an aggressive supervisor, ask yourself if you might make matters worse by saying something. If this person treats everyone the same belligerent way, it may not be worth the risk of discussing the matter. If you’re working for a truly incorrigible boss, and there’s little likelihood of there being a change in his or her behaviour, you may have to mark time until you can get away from the bully.

Go higher up the chain of command only when the supervisor’s behaviour is affecting the rest of the staff. Only group complaints can oust an ineffective supervisor if done correctly. Make sure the group uses facts to explain their grievances, giving details of what has actually happened—costs in lost revenue, customer relations, delays, unmet deadlines, unnecessary overtime, production stoppages, etc.

If it’s only you the supervisor has trouble with, you might be facing a personality clash. This can happen to two individuals who are on entirely different wavelengths. Consider talking to someone in your human resources department, apply for a transfer to another position in your company or leave for greener pastures. When you feel your boss has removed all the pride and pleasure you get from your work, it’s time to leave.

The post Help! I Have a Boss From Hell appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Arthashastra, the ancient Indian treatise written by Chanakya, follows the unique method of using sutras [verses] to teach; these brilliant one-liners are full of deep insights. Chanakya astutely defines the principles of management as, “the means of starting undertakings, the excellence of men and material, [suitable] apportionment of place and time, provision against failure [and] accomplishment of work—this is deliberation [management] in its five aspects.”

Qualities of a good manager according to Chanakya

Certain it is that man must eat. So, set what price you must on your service. But, never confuse the performance, which is great, with the compensation, be it money, power or fame.

—Judge Elbert P. Tuttle

Every manager today should reflect the qualities of integrity and service-oriented action. A good manager is a solid rock that stands in the midst of the storm around; he is the lighthouse that gives direction to others. Chanakya states that the qualities of a good manager are:

• Desire to learn
• Power of retention
• Thorough understanding
• Intentness on truth
• Ability to lead an army
• Sweetness of speech

To understand these qualities and their significance, you should visualise yourself in a managerial position. Do you possess these qualities? If not, how can you develop them?

When you compare the qualities of a leader and manager, you will find many similarities. They are reflections of each other and a good manager is on his way to becoming a great leader.

Desire to learn

A leader is supposed to learn continuously; so should a manager. Without continuous learning, there is stagnation in a manager’s career and boredom sets in. In offices, there is often rejoicing at the thought, “Thank God, it’s Friday!” Why? Does God differentiate between Sunday and Monday? Does the sun say, “Because it is ‘Sun-day’ today, I will shine brighter and on other days, I will not do my work?”

When you get stuck in a routine, are trapped in fixed ways of thinking and doing things and there is no new knowledge or learning, boredom is bound to set in. Then, you require breaks, weekends and vacations.

This is not to say that you should not have holidays and time with family and friends. But every day can be a day of celebration; your Monday can be as beautiful as Saturday or Sunday.

Ever since the age of 27, when I started on my own journey of becoming an entrepreneur, I have forgotten the difference between weekdays and weekends.

Every day is a celebration because every day, I am learning. And I have never got bored. That does not mean I am a workaholic. I love my work and find joy in it. I read books, listen to music, watch movies and go on long drives with my friends and family.

A manager can also achieve this if work is not considered as a ‘task’ to be completed, but a learning opportunity. One may think it is easy when you are the owner of a company or your own boss. This is not true. I know people who are not owners but professionals and managers. Yet they do not live their lives from one weekend to the next, one increment to the next or one job to the next.

They have the desire to learn. They work very hard and learn a lot. They learn by reading official reports, listening to others, travelling or resolving a problem in their companies. They draw on the experience of seniors and juniors, their children, families, friends and their mentors. They learn from professional journals, newspapers, television channels, radio, plays and movies; and from meetings, seminars and professional courses. They imbibe life lessons from watching the sunrise, a passing cloud or the movement of an ant. Because they have a learning mindset, they learn from anything and everything.

The whole universe becomes their university. And in that state of mind, they become deep thinkers, meditative in nature and are able to find solutions to complex problems.

Power of retention

Someone asked me in a seminar, “What is the greatest problem in our life?”

“Not being able to remember and apply the knowledge you have when the time comes,” was my instant reply.

In ancient Indian scriptures, there are many stories where a brilliant student is cursed by his teacher, “When the time to apply the knowledge comes, you will forget it!” This was the curse given to Karna, one of the greatest warriors in the Mahabharata, by his guru Parashurama, when the latter found out that Karna had lied to him.

As a result, Karna’s rival Arjuna, who was less skilled than him, killed him. Karna was an expert in military warfare, but could not recollect what he wanted at the right time and had to lose his life.

Therefore, to retain knowledge and recollect it when it is ‘really’ required is a skill a manager has to develop. Swami Chinmayananda said this jovially, “Before the exams I am wise, after the exams I am wise, but during the exams I am other-wise.”

Retention is not just memory skills or reproducing what you have learnt. It is going into your past database, selecting what is really required, diagnosing the current problem, choosing what is relevant and making an action plan, in the shortest possible time. Fighter pilots have to decide what to do in a split second. Policemen have to take a call for action on the spot.

Have you ever faced an instance in your life when you were all alone in a very difficult situation and when all your training, the knowledge from books you had read and all the advice you had received came handy in that very moment of judgement?

That is retention in the true sense. That is wisdom in action. No reference time, no consulting time, no brainstorming activity is possible. There is only you and the moment of truth. When you take that key decision to jump into the fire and the unknown power in you awakens; the leader in you is born.

Thorough understanding

Understanding has to be thorough and complete. We find young lovers often saying “I love you” but these are superficial words. Real love comes from understanding one another completely and unconditionally. An old couple really understands the meaning of love. When the old man is hungry, his wife understands. He does not have to ask for food. When she is upset, he understands. There is a perfect mental tuning between the two.

In the same way, there has to be a thorough understanding between the leader and the manager. It does not come from day one. It requires time being spent with each other, working with each other for a long period of time. But when this understanding reaches its maturity, there are no communication gaps any more, no ‘whys’ and ‘ifs’, no complaints of “he did it, not me”. There is only silence and a deep sense of calmness between the two.

The leader and the manager, have to reach that level of maturity. They work together for a higher purpose. They strive together to achieve a common goal. They may disagree on the methods and have different points of view, but their objective is not forgotten.

Disagreement between two people does not mean that they do not understand each other. In fact, Santrupt Misra from the Aditya Birla group said in the film Chanakya Speaks, “If the king and the minister agree on the same thing, then one is redundant.”

Intentness on truth

Truth is one, but it has various dimensions. A true manager will try to understand this complete truth. The story of the elephant and the five blind men is relevant here. While each blind man touched a different part of the elephant and described it differently as a pillar, broom, fan, wall and so on, the person with eyesight said, “All of you are right from your standpoint, yet the elephant is very different.” Each had his limited perspective, but missed the big picture. It required the wisdom of a person with full vision to see the complete truth.

A manager needs to develop this ‘big picture’ vision. Many people will provide different perspectives to a given problem or situation. He needs to gather all this information and collate it into a larger story. In this process, the truth is discovered.

Good managers have to be aware of and respect the perspectives of different individuals. But their intentness has to be on the truth, ensuring that the objective is not forgotten.

Intentness on truth also means the ability to take the next step. If you have reached the conclusion that a certain action is required after arriving at the truth, as a manager, you need to implement your findings.

For example, Mahatma Gandhi was convinced that non-violence was the way to freedom. But no one would accept his theory if it did not lead to results. He had to demonstrate his ‘experiments with truth’ in thought and action. He did that through his role in India’s freedom struggle, and attained fame and respect in India and the world. He said, “My life is my message.”

Ability to lead an army

A manager has a team that executes tasks. The minister has to ensure that his team implements the king’s decision. But the team members will do that only if they accept the minister or manager himself as their leader. Therefore, a manager or minister has to be an inspiring leader.

True leadership is inspirational. A manager cannot tell his supervisor, “My team does not listen to me; please help.” A manager is a leader, and therefore, cannot complain. Your team should be mesmerised by your vision and be ready to do anything at your command. This is charismatic leadership. Remember the famous saying, “People do not leave organisations; they leave their bosses.” That is, the boss was not inspirational enough to make them stick to their companies. Be the manager who has the ability to lead a team like an army fired up to take up any challenge. The manager in you has to transform into a leader.

Sweetness of speech

Sweetness of speech does not mean being nice to everyone. One cannot be uniformly sweet. But wherever it is possible, it is important to keep it simple, to communicate the most complex problems in a simple manner. Not all people in an organisation have the ability to understand what the leader is thinking. The manager plays a very critical role here. The manager is the bridge between the senior management or board of directors, and the staff and labourers.

The manager has the responsibility to convey the organisation’s needs to everyone, right down to the last man. Until each person in your team is connected to the vision of the organisation, they will not perform.

On the other hand, the problems of the staff and the foot soldiers also need to be conveyed to the senior management. Here, the manager plays a critical role. The ability to present the problems of your team with a solution to the senior management and to get an approval is a skill in itself; be it getting a budget approved for a project or organising a picnic. Getting that done and making your team happy is an essential part of management and leadership.

Truth is important, but the ability to communicate the truth in a palatable way is more important.

Excerpted with permission from Chanakya’s 7 Secrets of Leadership by Radhakrishnan Pillai and D Sivanandhan; Published by Jaico Publishing House.

This was first published in the August 2014 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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Despite the concerns, there is clear evidence that compassion in the workplace makes business sense. It not only improves workplace culture, but can also help your company’s bottom line. Cultivating a compassionate environment serves as a win-win situation for everyone.

Here are three important benefits of compassion at the workplace:

1. Employee retention

One of the many benefits of compassion in the workplace is improved employee retention. After all, would you rather work for a boss who yells at you and threatens that your job might be at stake when you ask to go home early because you aren’t feeling well? Or would you prefer the boss who cheers you on and shows understanding when you have to call in sick because you’ve got the flu? Creating a compassionate workplace is one of the best ways to retain employees over the long haul.

2. Decreased stress

One effective way employees can reduce their stress is by gaining support from co-workers. In a compassionate environment the boss doesn’t hover around the water cooler shouting for everyone to get back to work. Instead, employees are given time to engage in healthy amounts of conversation.

When allowed to linger for a few minutes during breaks and hallways, employees are likely to strike up conversations about what goes on in their lives outside the office. Discussions about family, children and hobbies begin to occur. A 2012 study published in BMC Public Health showed that when employees feel like they’re bonding, their stress levels decrease. And decreased stress means employees are less likely to burn out and more likely to be productive.

3. Improved health

Positive social interactions also lead to physical health benefits, according to a 2008 study published in the Academy of Management Review. A few minutes of mingling with co-workers every day can help lower blood pressure and decrease heart rate. These beneficial physiological changes boost employees’ immune systems, reduce absenteeism and help bring down company’s healthcare costs too. What’s more, employees who are in good health tend to be more productive.

Research also shows that fostering better health has a domino effect that helps the employees’ entire family. When employees feel better, they’re more likely to exhibit behaviour that can have a positive impact on their families—such as cooking healthier meals and taking part in physical activities. When entire families are healthy, employees are less likely to use their sick leave.

Compassion and social support has been linked to faster recovery from illness. Sending flowers to a co-worker after she’s had a baby or providing meals to a manager who has had surgery are just a few simple gestures that can help people feel better faster. Managers who want to foster compassion can create opportunities for employees to help one another —such as allowing workers to donate sick leave to people with long-term illnesses.

Contagious and reciprocal

While many business leaders fear that showing compassion will cause employees to take advantage of their graciousness, research shows the opposite is true. When leaders behave in a compassionate and cooperative manner, employees are more likely to reciprocate.

A 2010 study published in PNAS found that cooperative behaviour cascades in human networks. In a series of studies, participants repeatedly showed a desire to pay-it-forward. Each person who was treated kindly, wanted to extend generosity toward others.

People feel good about themselves when they’re treated with compassion. As a result, they tend to want to extend those positive feelings to others. Office productivity is much more likely to soar when co-workers are cooperating, rather than competing with one another’s efforts.

Creating a culture of compassion

Creating a culture of compassion involves reducing hardships and taking steps to build relationships. Here are a few examples of ways leaders can foster compassion:

• Connect new hires with relationally skilled employees. Ensure that newcomers are allied with people who can answer questions and assist them in getting their needs met.
• Encourage socialisation. Rather than chastise employees for chatting in the hallways or at the coffee vending machine, provide opportunities for them to connect with one another. Allowing time for employees to connect with one another on a human level can increase their workplace satisfaction.
• Incorporate support into the workplace. Rather than telling employees to ‘toughen up’ when they express difficulties doing their work, invite suggestions that could improve the environment.

Small steps, big difference

The good news: any organisation can introduce compassion to the workplace. A few small steps at a time can begin to make a big difference—cheerful greetings, conversations about family members, or simply delivering an employee a much needed cup of coffee can set the tone for a compassionate environment. Showing people you care, and creating policies that foster compassion, are simple but effective ways to improve business.

This was first published in the May 2015 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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Myth 1 Leaders should encourage competition amongst their team members

Some leaders make people compete so they perform better by trying to outdo their teammates. This makes as much sense as telling the defender in a football team to compete with the striker rather than to work together to score goals.

Although competition is seen to influence people to go the extra mile and perform better, encouraging collaboration and using peoples’ collective strengths is a more productive approach. When people are inspired to make the team bigger than themselves, it leads to better teamwork and results.

Myth 2 Leaders should have full control and command over their followers

By having complete control over the team and issuing commands, some leaders get the sense that they have a better grip on the situation and can do things ‘their way’. In truth—and extensive research supports this—dictatorial leadership stifles innovation and people actually perform better when they are trusted to perform well.

Myth 3 Leaders should take an ‘ivory tower’ approach

Leaders who stay at head office and keep an elitist approach may think that they are gaining more respect from their employees. The reality is that in order to inspire people, you need to connect with them, which can happen more easily with face-to-face time. Additionally, leaders who are more involved have a better idea of the realities of the team’s working situation and find solutions to some of the daily obstacles.

Myth 4 Leaders should be charismatic

It is true that some leaders have sheer charisma. However, many leaders earn respect through their attitude, diligence, and capabilities. As my friend, Dr. Nido Qubein says, “it is authenticity, not charisma that counts.” Successful leaders are authentic.

Myth 5 True leaders are born leaders

Yes, some leaders are innately gifted with leadership qualities; however, most of them become leaders by experience, learning from mentors and having a burning desire to lead. Whether acquired or innate, leaders need to consciously hone their abilities to lead. And yes, leadership improves with experience.

Myth 6 Leaders are people who have been designated to a position of leadership

Leaders do not need a designated position to lead. They only need the right attitude and desire to lead. An organisation needs leaders at all levels.

Myth 7 Leaders need to know it all

The best leaders hire people who are smarter and skilled in other ways than themselves so that they can learn from them and work together to achieve the common goal. Great leaders realise that they do not know it all, and that in order for the team to perform at its peak, each member needs to contribute his or her own expertise. Leaders are aware that mistakes happen. However, they also understand that they must learn from these mistakes and take measures to prevent them in the future. Leaders know how to bounce back bigger and stronger after their mistakes.

Myth 8 Leaders should be older and more mature than the team they are leading

In some cases, age does bring the experience that is required to lead. However, it is not a prerequisite. There are many examples of young, capable, and energetic leaders that have provided fresh, new thinking to an organisation.

Myth 9 Leaders are egotistical and self-centered

Leaders require a sense of humility in order to understand that everything happens with the help of others. They need to appreciate that they are not the only drivers of success and that they require the rest of their team to reach their goals.

Myth 10 Leaders do not delegate high-level work

Great leaders create leaders, not followers. And they do so by being good role models and allowing their team to prove its ability by assigning important work. [Here’s how you can become a master delegator]

Effective leadership

Many prevalent leaders in society today have been influenced by these myths, whether it is because of the public media, what they have been taught in school, or a leader that they have worked with in the past. These myths can explain the lack of purpose that members of many organisations feel.

Counter to commonly-believed myths, effective leadership is…

• being a role model
• being a coach
• empowering others
• trusting and believing in the inherent abilities and gifts of team members
• encouraging collaboration instead of competition
• involving the team in the preparation of a clear vision and mission
• sincere praise of team members at every opportunity
• showing empathy and care
• rewarding excellence
• being result-oriented, not task-oriented
• exhibiting clear, ongoing, and positive communication

Effective leadership is the ability to inspire and catalyse the potential of the team. It is all about people. You share your success with them, tap into their talents, and show them how their work makes a difference. This way their work becomes far more than just making a livelihood. You arouse their curiosity to learn more, stretch their imagination by encouraging them to aim high and to make decisions.

Leadership is about making leaders of your followers. People learn best when they have to teach others, so it is about unleashing the spirit of empowerment and involvement. There is so much richness within each person to be discovered. Until it is discovered, it will forever be absent from the workplace. It is the role of effective leaders to nurture this richness.

You can avoid falling into the trap of these myths by being an effective leader. If you have a leader who operates from these myths, do not react to him or her but rather become the leader that he or she ends up looking up to.

The post What a leader is not appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

1. 1. Use the power of the pen. Recognition is the number one motivator. A simple thank you note is more important than money to most people. Open the fancy pen you got for your birthday and say thanks to the people who helped you succeed.
   2. Understand the importance of emotions. Feelings are a part of daily life and business. When people’s feelings are hurt, their performance suffers. So make sure you deal with these issues sooner rather than later.
   3. Be passionate. If you don’t love what you do, your team won’t either. Show them that you’re excited and watch them give their best at all times.
   4. Communicate effectively. If you don’t use effective communication skills, you may fail to motivate people and get the most out of them. Don’t be afraid to take a brush-up course and listen to hints from those who are in the positions you aspire to be in.
   5. Do a company evaluation at least once a year. Take inputs from your team. Ask them to respond in writing to important questions like, “What do we need to change?” and “What do we need to keep doing more often?”
   6. Create a healthy environment. Every new person in your team should feel welcome and comfortable. Appoint a mentor to assist the person. This helps build confidence and creates the motivation to go on.
   7. Balance your team’s skills sets. If everyone in a team is an innovator, nothing will get done. Similarly, a team of only implementers will create nothing new.
   8. Remember that customer service rocks. Value your clients and their needs. This is the key to successful business relationships.
   9. Take your team’s opinion. This shows them that their suggestions are valued and hence will put more energy and effort to achieve the target goal. Ask them what they think and you’ll get their dedication in return.
   10. Organise a knowledge lunch. Keep your team up-to-date by having a lunch meeting once a week or month. Getting together for things other than work helps them reconnect with each other.
   11. Deal appropriately with fear. Provide a forum to safely discuss any fears your team might have. When team members fear, they do not perform at their highest level.

1. 1. Inspire faith. You need to believe in what you and your company are doing, and to share the power of that belief with your team members.
   2. Pursue failure. Failure is not an ending; it is a stepping stone to the right answer. Stop beating yourself up for mistakes and see them as an opportunity to begin again with additional information, knowledge and experience.
   3. Take responsibility. You are responsible for everything that goes right, and anything that goes wrong. As it is rightly said, the fish stinks from the head down.
   4. Have fun. If your team members enjoy work and have fun, it is sure to reflect in their productivity and ultimately in your profits.
   5. Beware of invalidation. The number one motivation killer is making a team member feel less important. If you mistakenly say the wrong thing to someone, apologise immediately. You’ll look like a responsible leader rather than an insensitive bully.
   6. Maintain your composure under pressure. As Thomas Jefferson has said, “Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain cool and unruffled under all circumstances.”
   7. Keep yourself updated. To keep your skills sharp and get answers to difficult questions, get into a group of non-competing peers.
   8. Ask powerful questions. The right question at the right time can eliminate major problems or help a team member find the best answer available.
   9. Learn to deal with difficult people. There are specific techniques to deal with different types of people. Doing this effectively will maintain a healthy balance in your team.

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Know thy boss

Try and understand what makes the top man/woman tick. Realising his/her vision for the company will help define your own goals and immediate targets. Always ensure that your relationship is very professional and cordial, but don’t be afraid to add that personal touch. Remember birthdays and important anniversaries with a card, or bouquet, and arrange for all your colleagues to sign it as well, so that you are not accused of the old fashioned apple-polishing!

Communicate with tact

Communication with one’s boss is truly an art that requires a great degree of discretion and diplomacy. You’ll have to exercise your judgement in order to determine when it would be necessary to express a contradictory opinion in the best interests of the company, and when you would need to follow instructions blindly without question. Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated in such a situation. If you have a grievance that needs to be redressed, avoid whining accusations. Stick to presenting bare facts without embellishment.

Be a team player

In today’s cut-throat corporate scenario, it is important to be a team player and pull your own weight. Bury the hatchet over any kind of rivalry with colleagues and keep the personal equation out of the work arena. Your professionalism will always be a valuable asset to any employer.

Never feel that you’re indispensable

While you may certainly be an important part of the company, never create a situation in your mind in which you over-rate your own importance. This attitude can skewer workplace relationships and bring you to the brink of professional disaster!

Don’t toot your own horn

No matter how tempted you may be to hint to your boss about how perfect you are for that upcoming promotion, or a big project at hand, let your actions speak louder than your words. Allowing him/her to make their own independent decisions about you will certainly give you more credibility.

And, remember—as an employee, it’s not what you know, but what you do with what you know that makes all the difference!

When you’re the boss

As the head of your company, you may constantly endeavour to strike the right note with your employees. The challenges and dilemmas that you face in this situation are manifold. You can’t afford to be too familiar, or you’ll find that your authority may be undermined at the first instance. All too-frequent requests for promotion and leave of absence will invariably reach your door. However, in today’s era of egalitarian relationships at the workplace, a boss who has an air of superiority can be terribly unpopular. Don’t despair; it doesn’t have to be lonely at the top!

Be human, but not too accessible

In order to get the best out of your employees, you’ll find that you’ll need to strike a fine balance between familiarity and authority. According to career counsellor Sabitha Kishore: “You need to ensure loyalty and still maintain healthy discipline, be warm and considerate, but constantly aware of that invisible line that you can’t cross.” For instance, you should enquire about the health of a sick employee and have a basic understanding of his/her social and economic situation, but you can’t invite him/her out for dinner. This basic protocol stems from the fact that an employer can’t afford to be too personal, but, at the same time, the human element should be apparent in the dynamics of all your relationships. By genuinely caring about the wellbeing of your employees, without relinquishing a formal working relationship, you can easily manage to strike the right note.

Explore the psyche of your employee

Understanding the background and frame of mind of the people you’ll be hiring is a good idea. This can give you valuable insights into their psyche. “You’ll have to be aware of what they’re looking for after they’ve accepted a position in your company,” says Emma Watson, a clinical psychologist. “For instance, is your employee a family man, searching for a stable career and the security that it can give his life, or is s/he the kind who loves the adrenaline rush of a high-powered job and is constantly seeking new challenges?” Fitting the personality of the candidate to the right job profile will ensure a smooth working relationship for all concerned. As an employer, your biggest asset would be excellent judgement. Being aware of the strengths and shortcomings of your employees will also allow you to reap the benefits of their talents.

Define responsibilities

Ensure that your team has clearly defined goals and that everyone knows what their core responsibilities are. If these boundaries are well-established at the outset, there can be no room for conflict later. Delegate tasks with care and allow your team to function independently when you do. It may be difficult for you to adopt this approach, but if you interfere too often into delegated responsibilities, your office will never function as an independent unit. It is also not particularly healthy for employees to use you as an emergency crutch.

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