interpersonal relationships | Stephanie L. Gross, MSLIS

Unforgettable bosses change us for the better. They see more in us than we see in ourselves, and they help us learn to see it too.

BY TRAVIS BRADBERRY

Author, ‘Emotional Intelligence 2.0’@talentsmarteq

IMAGE: Getty Images

Once again, Google has topped Fortune magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” This marks Google’s second year in a row at the top of the list, and their sixth victory overall.

Most people assume that Google tops the list because of their great benefits and all of the fun and perks that they pack into the Googleplex. But that’s just part of the equation.

Google knows that people don’t leave companies; they leave bosses. But unlike most companies, which wait around hoping for the right bosses to come along, Google builds each Googler the boss of their dreams.

Their people analytics team starts by researching the qualities that make managers great at Google. They’re the managers everyone wants to work for. Next, Google built a training program that teaches every manager how to embrace these qualities. Once managers complete the program, Google measures their behavior to ensure that they’re making improvements and morphing into managers that Googlers want to work for……

1. Great bosses are passionate. Few things are more demotivating than a boss who is bored with his or her life and job. If the boss doesn’t care, why should anybody else? Unforgettable bosses are passionate about what they do. They believe in what they’re trying to accomplish, and they have fun doing it. This makes everyone else want to join the ride.

2. They stand in front of the bus. Some bosses will throw their people under the bus without a second thought; great bosses pull their people from the bus’s path before they’re in danger. They coach, and they move obstacles out of the way, even if their people put those obstacles there in the first place. Sometimes, they clean up messes their people never even knew they made. And if they can’t stop the bus, they’ll jump out in front of it and take the hit themselves.

3. They play chess, not checkers. Think about the difference. In checkers, all the pieces are basically the same. That’s a poor model for leadership because nobody wants to feel like a faceless cog in the proverbial wheel. In chess, on the other hand, each piece has a unique role, unique abilities, and unique limitations. Unforgettable bosses are like great chess masters. They recognize what’s unique about each member of their team. They know their strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes, and they use these insights to draw the very best from each individual.

1. Set and maintain expectations.

One of the most important employee needs is clear expectations. If there aren’t any established boundaries and expectations, employees don’t have a guideline to follow.

“Great managers don’t just tell employees what’s expected of them and leave it at that; instead, they frequently talk with employees about their responsibilities and progress. They don’t save those critical conversations for once-a-year performance reviews,” states an article published in Gallup’s Business Journal in April.

Establish expectations through frequent conversations with employees. Don’t not just meet monthly or quarterly. Keep a positive tone and address examples of what employees already do well. When gray areas are uncovered, address them by collaborating with employees to determine a set rule.

Stephanie L. Gross, MSLIS

LIBRARIAN, MENTOR, PRACTITIONER, COACH, INSTRUCTOR

Tag Archives: interpersonal relationships

Why Leaders Can’t Afford to Overlook Rudeness at Work

1. Set and maintain expectations.

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1. Set and maintain expectations.

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