Three focuses of my blog are Career Discussions, Organizational/Management Discussions and Workplace Discussions. Many people aspire to workplace leadership but don’t understand what goes into being a good boss. Many people furthermore aspire to be great bosses but don’t have the skills. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Skills That All Great Bosses Have.
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Being a boss isn’t just about telling people what to do- you have to master a number of important skills. Here five key skills you need to develop if you want to succeed.
Clear Communication
Communication is important in all aspects of life, we need to be able to understand each other and get our point across in a way that makes sense to us and others to succeed. But as a boss, it’s more important than ever because people are taking your direction. Without clear communication skills there could be confusion or things could be misconstrued, losing time, money or even damaging your company’s reputation. Great bosses are excellent at communicating, they make sure everyone understands what they’re saying. During meetings, they explain things clearly so everyone knows what to do. They also give feedback that helps people improve. When everyone communicates well, work goes smoothl- for example, if there’s a new project, they might gather everyone together to discuss it so everyone is on the same page. They’d explain what needs to be done and answer any questions, that way everyone knows their role and feels confident in their tasks.
Understanding Others
Being good at understanding how other people feel will always differentiate a good boss from a great one. Great bosses take time to listen when someone needs help, if someone is stressed about work, they might offer support or point them in the direction of where they can go to resolve their issues. They also know what each person is good at and what they might need help with. By caring about their team, they make everyone feel like they belong. To have a successful team of employees, the boss needs to care about their wellbeing- and this can extend to outside of work too. If someone is going through a difficult time in their personal life, a good boss can be empathetic, understanding and help them with what they need.
Keeping Things Organised
This is about making sure everything is in the right place. Great bosses are really good at keeping track of what needs to be done and when. They use tools and systems to make sure work gets done smoothly. For example, they might use a planner to schedule tasks. When everything is organised, work gets done faster. Imagine a boss who has a big project coming up. They’d create a timeline, breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable steps. This way, everyone knows what needs to be done and when.
Making Decisions
Sometimes bosses have to make tough choices. Great bosses weigh options carefully, and by making decisions, work moves forward smoothly. If for example there’s a disagreement among team members about which direction to take, a great boss would listen to everyone’s opinions and then make a decision based on what’s best for the team as a whole. They’re confident in their decision making and in turn this helps to build trust with the rest of the team who will feel like they can follow them with confidence.
Being Flexible
Things don’t always go as planned, and great bosses know how to be flexible and change their plans when they need to. They’re open to trying new things- for example, if something isn’t working, they might ask the team for new ideas. Being flexible helps everyone find better ways to do things. Consider a situation where a project deadline gets moved up unexpectedly, a great boss would calmly assess the situation and come up with a new plan. They’d communicate the changes to the team and work together to meet the new deadline.
