Good boss, bad boss

By ASHLEY CAMPBELL

What makes a good boss? It's a question that many of us ponder, either while fuming silently at our desks after yet another encounter with a bad one, or wondering why our colleagues seem to get so much more out of their teams.

Is it technical skill? Decisiveness? The ability to multi-task under pressure or squeeze the most out of limited resources? No, no, and no.

While you may indeed need these skills to be a competent boss, they won't set you - or your superiors - apart and inspire loyalty.

To do that, try being unfailingly fair and a good communicator, for these are the traits that employees constantly nominate as the marks of a good boss.

Recruitment and contract staffing agency Drake International found that out when it surveyed its temping staff about what makes a good boss.

With 1500 temps in many different workplaces on any one day, Drake's New Zealand general manager Gay Barton says it's a perfect opportunity to compare how workers feel about different management approaches. And the results don't surprise her.

The five most important traits of a good boss, say Drake's temps, are: They are approachable; they actually listen to what I have to say; they are competent and good at their job; they tell you what is going on; I can take a problem to them and they'll help.

One temp put it this way: "They listen and hear when you speak to them, problems are just challenges to be resolved, not obstacles to progress. They are great arbitrators when needed and resolve differences between people before they become insurmountable.

"Though mistakes should not be the norm, the ideal boss is prepared to accept one or two, and encourage us to use them as a learning experience. They have high expectations, knowing that you are capable of achieving. They don't move the goal posts, just help you get the goals."

Why isn't Barton surprised? "Over the years, from the work that we do and the feedback [we've had], we expected the interpersonal skills to come out quite strong."

Now before you dismiss these as the results of just one survey, consider this. Right Management Consultants this year asked 570 fulltime white-collar employees in the United States what they thought was the most important trait for the leader of a company. Creativity? Decisiveness? Attention to detail? Actually, they were among the five least important traits.

Out in front were: honesty; integrity/morals/ethics; caring and compassion; fairness; and good relationships with employees, including approachability and listening skills.

In case you haven't got the message yet, a survey of 403 employees by Irish firm Eden Recruitment found the most important characteristics of good bosses were: Being considerate, approachable and understanding; being fair and easy to work with; and being good communicators who provide constructive feedback.

So what does it all matter anyway - you're the boss and what you say goes, right? As Drake's Auckland branch manager Janet Manley points out, in a market short of skilled workers how the boss is perceived can make a world of difference to staff retention.

"People don't actually quit jobs," she says, "They quit bosses."

That was established by a 1999 study in the United States, examining what influences employees' decisions to leave or stay in a job. At the end of The compelling offer, the Corporate Leadership Council concluded: "Manager quality is the single most highly valued attribute; the one employees are least likely to trade off for another job."

In another survey, Drake asked its temps what made a bad boss (see box). Some of the comments also highlight the importance of interpersonal skills.

"They pull rank all the time," wrote one respondent. "They don't trust their managers or their staff to do their job," wrote another. Another gave a near perfect description of David Brent, from the hit British black comedy The Office.

"A bad boss is one who got the supervisory position but does not know his responsibilities or what he is doing. He cannot help in deciding issues that arise ... he will advise you to look for the solution yourself. If you are lucky enough to find the right solution, he will claim the glory. But if you fail, it is bad enough when he does nothing to defend you, worse when he nails you just to cover up his own weakness."

It's a bit of a problem really, for so many supervisors and managers gain their position by being technically good at their jobs but receive little or no training in managing people. What's a struggling boss to do?

The first thing, says executive coach Iain McCormick, is not to panic. If you've got to where you are today, you can't be all that bad. Really.

"The reality is that most managers aren't appalling at this, or they would never have got to be managers. They just don't focus the time and effort on dealing with it."

And even a little time and effort could reap major rewards, he says. For example, bosses keen to improve their leadership skills could start asking for feedback - and asking in a way that doesn't involve embarrassing questions like "What do you think of my leadership?".

Instead try something like "How do you think we actually did on that project and what could we do better?"

Another simple technique can have a major impact on communication styles, says McCormick. With the permission of those involved, start taping your interviews and phone conversations then play them back and listen. You'll probably spot what you're doing wrong straight away.

And finally, he says, find out what actually motivates your team. "Typically, managers think they themselves have higher motives and their subordinates are motivated by money." Frequently, they are wrong.

Bosses who prefer a more structured approach to learning are spoiled for choice when it comes to courses on interpersonal skills. For example, the New Zealand Institute of Management offers one to two-day courses on everything from interpersonal communication skills and assertiveness skills to dealing with difficult people and influencing skills.

The institute's learning and programmes manager, Suzanna Rangi, says the courses - most of which are offered four times a year - are frequently booked out.

Robyn Walshe, who takes the courses on assertiveness training and interpersonal communication, says one of the most common reasons people give for coming on such courses is to learn how to say "no" with confidence.

Put simply, bosses struggling with communication skills may lack confidence, and "their position means they are quite nervous about stating that particular issue".

Walshe makes an interesting point about effective leadership. It comes, she says, when the person "focuses on their staff rather than on their own ego ... bosses are so conscious of what their status is and what other people should be thinking of them".

But when it all comes down to it, it's the simple things that differentiate the good from the bad in the boss stakes, and simple changes that can make all the difference. One of those Drake temps summed it up simply when describing good bosses: "They are human," she says, "and treat me the same."

What makes a bad boss?

From Drake's survey

* They discriminate against some people

* They think they are always right

* They fail to respect other people's opinions or views

* They make or encourage unwelcome advances

* They are bad listeners

From Eden's survey

* They are inexperienced and don't know what they're about

* They don't appreciate their staff

* They tolerate bad working conditions

* They are poor communicators

Least important traits for a good boss

From Drake's survey

* They understand that I am only here for the money

* They are prepared to turn a blind eye to mistakes

* They make a decision and don't change it

* They make quick decisions

From Right's survey

* Creativity

* Decisiveness

* Flexibility

* Good personality/sense of humour

* Attention to detail