Well, I got a new boss a few weeks ago. The thing is, my old boss was absolutely fantastic. He really knew how to motivate people, get things done, and assign tasks. My old supervisor was a very democratic leader and a very affable person—he brought out the best in the team when it came to developing and executing strategies. Like a lot of good employees, he left the company when he received a better offer.
The new boss has a different style of leadership. The mood of the department is now much more serious and much less about developing team solutions. Like most new bosses, he is mostly concerned about what he can do to improve the department. He is very anxious to demonstrate his value by contributing ideas. The problem is that he should really be concentrating more on learning the company and his direct reports. He really hasn’t come up with anything we haven’t already done or tried and doesn’t seem interested in getting to know any of us beyond a superficial level. I’m still holding out hope though. It’s only been a few weeks and maybe things will start to improve.
With that being said, I would like to offer my ideas to all new bosses. I have some experience in this area as I’ve had direct reports for the last seven years. What follows are my own suggestions. It may not be earth-shattering, but it always surprises me how many new bosses overlook these common sense suggestions:
1. Your people will make or break you—get to know them and make them your first priority. Most new supervisors get too caught up in worrying about their own self-image. This is a classic mistake. Encourage your team to develop the needed solutions and get to know their strengths and weaknesses. Assign tasks to the right people and don’t overwork your superstars and underwork your underperformers. I’ve had so many different bosses that I’ve lost count, and it never ceases to amaze when they fail to overlook the cardinal rule of truly knowing and understanding their direct reports. You should be motivating your people to generate and execute new ideas.
2. Get to know your new department or company. Take the time to educate yourself about your new role. Too many bosses come in swinging with surveys, metrics and suggestions. Find out what’s been done in the past. Learn what metrics are currently in place and find out what has been tried in the past. Talk to your people to find these things out. Don’t spend all your time getting to know your superiors—they’ll like you if get things done. Also, don’t immediately come in with ideas. Take the time to learn and then use this new-found knowledge to create stronger and better ideas that will truly benefit the department.
3. Learn how to reward and correct employees. When you see someone doing an outstanding job, be sure to tell them and thank them for their efforts. At the same time, don’t be afraid to demand more from underperformers (or get rid of them). Too many bosses take too long to figure this out because they don’t start with rule 1: getting to know their people. My new boss has yet to thank anyone for anything. I have personally completed two major projects since he’s been there and have received recognition from people above my boss, but I have yet to hear him say “thank you” to anyone in our department.
I’m no one of any consequence, so it’s not like anyone has to heed my advice. Most bosses don’t understand that they achieved their position by being in the right place at the right time. They actually think it’s because of their smarts and hard work. Because of this, many of them tend to be self-centered and believe that the department’s success depends on their genius. After all, what would all of us direct reports do without their eternal wisdom. Obviously, I try and lead with a much different viewpoint. I try and put my people first, and I am proud to say that in seven years I have never had an employee leave. This is not to say that I haven’t let people go, but I have never had an employee ask for a transfer, leave for another job, or outright quit on me. I’m not sure I can say the same for my current boss. Time will tell, and time tends to pass very slowly when your boss sucks.