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Step 1
You Can Be A Good Boss
First remember great bosses aren't born they are made and you have the potential to be a really great boss if you truly want to be...and have a thick skin. But getting there takes some work and it entails being really honest about your strengths and your weaknesses. Write down what you are really good at doing and where you may need to improve. You may have to ask a friend, relative, or co-worker you trust with this task. This is because no one ever sees themselves as they truly are.
I remember being in a staff meeting years ago where two other supervisors were chomping at the bit to finally tell me that some of my employees didn't like me. I don't always advise this but it was a calculated move on my part to let them know in front of everyone that there were lots of employees who didn't like them either...they were stunned. It never occurred to them that they were not perfect and some employees were not comfortable with their way of doing things either. From then on they stopped worrying about who didn't like me and more on why their employees didn't like them and how they could improve that situation.
Think about the bosses you have had and what you really liked about them and the ones who were really bad to identify the behaviors you would like incorporate into your own style of managing or to avoid. -
Step 2
Learn, Learn, Learn
If you have weaknesses or have some skills that you need to strengthen make it a priority to address this situation. You may need to enroll in classes in or out of work or enroll in training seminars. Maybe you can get your training on the job with a little extra effort.
Once when I had to work in a new location my weakness was not knowing the area like the back of my hand which was imperative for the position. I spent every Sunday for six months driving around the area until I knew it like my own back yard. In other situations I identified the person at work who was particularly skilled or knowledgeable in a particular area and picked their brain or asked if it would be okay if I spent some time (often on my own time) learning what they know. -
Step 3
Always Be Fair And Consistent
Model the type of behavior you expect from those you supervise and always be fair and consistent. Some employees may never like you for one reason or another but being fair and consistent is the corner stone of earning their respect. At some point you will hopefully reach a stage in your career where you don't give a damn about who likes you or not. The important thing is to do your job, do it well, and treat everyone the way you want to be treated. If you do this they probably will like you..if not...oh well. -
Step 4
Friends On The Job And Authority Challengers
Understand that it may take time for some to accept and see you as the boss especially if once you worked for them or were peers. Sometimes they will challenge your authority so think in advance about how you will handle these situations. Sometimes you will have to just come out and bluntly remind someone who likes to challenge your authority that "you are the boss not them."
A word about friends...if someone is truly your friend they won't put you in a position where they are challenging your authority or you have to discipline them. -
Step 5
Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Your employees will appreciate and feel flattered when you draw on their expertise or ask their opinion to solve a problem or get a job done. But you should be asking them questions about specific tasks and not how to manage. Draw on the knowledge of other managers or supervisors for questions that deal with managing your staff. -
Step 6
Keep It Professional
Keep your personal business to yourself. Work is not the place to tell your secrets. You can be friendly with your employees and co-workers but they don't necessarily have to be your friends. Cultivate hobbies, friends, and interests outside of work so that work and your co-workers don't become an extension of your personal life.
For one when your personal and professional life become entangled you can lose perspective and not make the best decisions at work or at home. Your employees may lose respect or find it hard to take you seriously if they are privy to certain aspects of your private life.
And finally there are millions of people in the world to date so go find someone to date among the millions and leave those at work alone. -
Step 7
We Learn From Our Mistakes
Accept that you will always make mistakes, even as a boss, but learn as much as you can early on. Some mistakes can be overlooked when you are new to a position, but look really bad if you've been in the position for a while, and should know better or be better equipped to handle certain circumstances.
