A Cool Boss Is A Successful Boss!

Bosses come in all shapes and sizes!

You just got promoted, it’s your turn to lead, and you don’t which way to turn … are you going to be that wonderful boss that knows everyone by name (who gets the sweet YouTube emails from everyone) or do you want to go the other route and be the type who truly feels that he is too good to keep an open line of communication with his employees (and suffer the consequences)! I hope you answered the first because …

One of the biggest problems in running any business (if you care to become successful eventually) is miscommunication. Why, you ask? Well, the answer is people are prone to listen to gossip (“I don’t think we’re getting Christmas bonuses this year!”) rumors (“Did you hear what Mike in Accounting did …?”) or scandals (“The s%$t just hit the fan!!!”) which are usually told through the grapevine. The easiest way to completely eliminate all this nonsense is to simply keep an open line of communication with everyone on your staff. Show up every day with a smile, during regular hours, and let them know that they can always come to you for anything. Make sure to pop in on them with a friendly “Hey, how’s it going” once in a while, but at the same time don’t make your presence overbearing (not cool).

Also, have a phone number where people can get a hold of you, for life’s little emergencies. You may have employed a staff of competent individuals, but they will more than likely be tested from time to time, and you are the captain of that ship after all! Besides, what could ruin a perfect Friday afternoon for your staff more than knowing your work kitchen is on fire when you weren’t around, and you didn’t find out until Monday? Bottom line: having your number will help things go much smoother for everyone. Trust me on this one (been there, done that)!

Another thing you should do is tell your employees of upcoming changes/events well in advance. What? Never heard of such things? Well, you better if you don’t want to make a long string of bad decisions, which usually end in bad results for your business. This will help ensure that they are better able to plan for things, which leads to the right decisions being made, and also to them not being surprised/ angry when you have to deliver some bad news (which you must from time to time).

Morals of this article: 1) People love a great boss, and are willing to do almost everything for them (this is how companies truly grow)! 2) People hate a jerk-off boss, and will gladly burn their business into the ground when the boss is out doing jerky things!