It’s a blessing to have a job that you love – a job that is challenging, rewarding, fun, and allows you to do what you do best. But what makes it even better is having a boss that supports your growth, your curiosity, your drive, and your desire to be successful. Here are 9 signs that you have such a boss.
- They provide clear performance expectations. You never have to guess what’s expected of you – ever – and if for some reason you’re unclear about what you need to do, you know that you can approach your boss and ask for clarification without being afraid that she’ll make you feel stupid for asking.
- They are fair. Treating employees fairly is more important to your boss than being liked. Your boss doesn’t play games, and she finds no value in having favorites, protecting some employees and not others, and playing one employee against another. You can feel confident that you will be treated with the same dignity and respect as all the other employees who report to your boss.
- They keep employees in the loop. Let’s face it. Not only is it frustrating to be left in the dark, but it also hinders your ability to be successful. Because your boss knows this, she openly shares, in a timely manner, whatever information she can about the organization, about your department, and about any factors or decisions that may direction impact the work that you do. She also understands that informed employees are better able to concentrate on their work rather than spend time worrying about what’s not being said.
- They hold themselves accountable. Your boss is aware that her behavior and decisions impact your ability to successfully complete your work. So if she makes a bad mistake, fails to provide you with resources you need, miscommunicates information to you, then she’ll take responsibility for her actions and will work to correct the situation so that your work will not be negatively impacted. And being accountable also means she lets people in higher level positions know that she’s the one who made the mistake and not you.
- They are flexible with rules when appropriate. Despite the good intention of rules, policies, guidelines, and best practices, they sometimes become barriers to progress. When this happen, your boss will exercise her authority to remove these barriers so that you can successfully complete your work without these hindrances.
- They don’t hold grudges. Everyone makes mistakes, and your boss knows that which is why once the mistake happens and corrective action is taken, the issue is over. Your boss knows that you cannot be successful if you fear that past transgressions are going to be thrown in your face. Her hope will be that you used the situation as a learning experience and moved forward, wiser from having made the mistake.
- They invest in employee development. A boss who wants you to be successful knows that you’ll need to obtain new knowledge and learn new skills in order to move up in the organization. As a result, she will ensure you’re given opportunities for continuous feedback and development.
- They communicate directly with employees. If your boss has something to say to you, she will say it directly to you in as clear a manner as possible. She knows that hinting, innuendo, and passive-aggressive communication will confuse you, create frustration, erode trust, and ultimately impede your ability to be successful. So if your boss has something to say, rest assured, she will say it to you and only you.
- They are recognize and reward their employees. Perhaps one of the biggest hallmarks of a boss who wants her employees to be success is that she will give credit where credit is due. In other words, you will be acknowledged for your work, and she will never falsely claim to have done something that you, in fact, did.