Can You Tell the Difference Between

Being a Good Boss and Being Bossy?

Unfortunately, when you were promoted no one waved a magic want over your head and gave you all the skills necessary to be Manager Extraordinaire. Leading is difficult-and on a bad day it’s often a short journey from being a good boss to just being bossy. What’s the difference? Here’s a short primer:

• Good bosses communicate.

Bossy bosses dictate.

• Good bosses are straightforward and fair.

Bossy bosses are secretive and arbitrary.

• Good bosses respect employees and treat them with dignity.

Bossy bosses issue orders and demand compliance.

• Good bosses make employees feel valued.

Bossy bosses make employees feel expendable.

• Good bosses share knowledge and empower workers.

Bossy bosses hoard information and micromanage.

• Good bosses allow flexibility and encourage work/life balance.

Bossy bosses are rigid and expect total commitment.

• Good bosses are consistent and reliable.

Bossy bosses are moody and unpredictable.

• Good bosses share credit and give praise.

Bossy bosses feel threatened and condemn mistakes.

• Good bosses provide training.

Bossy bosses preach “sink or swim.”

If you consistently fit the “good boss” mode, congratulations. If not, start working on your management techniques. Don’t forget:

• Good bosses retain workers.

Bossy bosses recruit...and recruit...and recruit.

Suggested by “Are you a good boss, or just bossy?” by Joann Wilcox

in Successful Farming

Three Habits of Top Managers

Being a good manager doesn’t necessarily require loads of formal training. British researchers Mandy Geal and Barry Johnson have observed that the best managers do three things well (none of which require more than common sense):

1) They give people good information in the form of objectives and feedback;

2) They treat their employees as intelligent adults; and

3) They support their employees’ decisions. Work on cultivating these habits and your employees will be happy to work for you.

-Adapted from the Training Journal

Staff Matters

Feeding a Hungry Work Force

By Stephen O’Connor

One of my favorite stories about organizational pathology is the one about the two ferocious tigers that escaped from the zoo. Concerned about being recaptured, they decided to split up but agreed to meet again two months later.

When the time comes for the meeting, one tiger is fat and sassy, the other frail and sickly. “Good heavens,” Sassy exclaims, “You look dreadful. What happened?”

“It’s been terrible,” says Sickly. “I wandered into a small computer company and ate one little technology worker. Apparently, they’re hard to come by, and the people went crazy. They started chasing me, and I haven’t had a minute’s peace since.”

“That’s awful,” Sassy says. “Well you seem to be doing okay,” Sickly notes. “What’s your secret?” “Oh, I found a big corporation to hide in. I’ve been eating a manager a week and nobody seems to notice.”

While some organizations may implicitly regard the middle and front line manager as “consumable,” it is becoming increasing clear that they are a pivotal player as it relates to employee retention. As Debra Stock, vice president of Member Relations at the American Hospital Association (AHA), puts it, they are “first level retention officers.” As Buckingham and Coffman tell us in First Break All the Rules, “People don’t leave organizations, they leave managers.” New hires and promotions into first-level management positions need to be based on skills that facilitate employee growth and a sense of personal accomplishment.

In a recent publication by the AHA Commission on Workforce for Hospitals and Health Systems called In Our Hands: How Hospital Leaders Can Build a Thriving Workforce (April 2002), the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration lists 10 key competencies that are linked to the retention of satisfied, long-term employees.

Results Orientation — A leader who is a business driver able to manage for results in key areas such as clinical quality, service excellence, staff and finances.

Skilled Communicator — A leader who creates an environment of mutual trust, respect and two-way communication.

Team Builder — A leader who hires, retains, develops and promotes talented people and builds team spirit.

Agent for Change — A leader who challenges tradition and actively pursues positive change.

Commitment to Service — A leader who demonstrates a willingness to serve key constituents, including patients, coworkers, physicians, the community and the organization.

Collaborative Relationships — A leader who is able to work in interdisciplinary teams for the benefit of the organization as a whole.

Resource Management — A leader who effectively manages the organization’s human, financial, technological and other key resources.

Analytical Thinking — A leader who is able to organize the parts of a problem or situation by breaking it apart into smaller pieces, making systematic comparisons of different features or aspects and taking a step-by-step approach.

Personal Integrity — A leader whose actions are consistent with what she or he says, who communicates ideas and feelings openly and directly, and who welcomes openness and honesty from others.

Talent Development — A leader who has a genuine commitment to foster the growth and development of others.

Leadership Effectiveness — A leader who creates a shared mission and vision.

This article originally appeared in the November/December 2002 issue of Michigan Health & Hospitals magazine and is being used with permission.

QUIZ: How Do You Measure Up?

What kind of boss are you? Answer these questions:

1. Have you overheard employees asking what kind of mood you’re in before stepping into your office?

2. Are employees reluctant to offer opinions even when asked?

3. Is it difficult for you to say “thank you”?

4. Do you publicly criticize workers?

5. Must workers request feedback to get it?

6. Is feedback usually negative?

7. Do you play favorites?

8. Do you make jokes about workers’ weaknesses or missteps?

9. Do you interrupt employees when they’re trying to tell you something or contribute in meetings?

10. Do you take credit for others’ work?

11. Do you give assignments to employees without first reviewing their workloads with them?

12. Do you rigidly enforce rules regardless of the circumstances?

13. Do you demand that questioning workers just follow orders?

14. Are workers in other departments hesitant to apply for openings in yours?

15. Have you lost an employee to “personality differences”?

16. Is it unusual for you to promote from within?

17. Do you spend more time issuing directives than having conversations?

18. Do you hoard information and keep employees in the dark?

19. Do you make and cancel meetings without input from participants?

20. Do you discourage workers from trying anything new?

If you answered no to all, stop reading and shine your halo. If you answered Yes to fewer than 4 questions, you’re human. If you answered yes to 5-9, you need serious improvement. If you answered yes to 10 or more questions, you need a major overhaul. You’re probably already losing workers or undermining productivity and morale. Fortunately, your answers offer a great place to start revamping your image and leadership skills. Just concentrate on turning every no into a yes!

-Adapted from the Joan Lloyd at Work Web site