Give Yourself a Boss Day Gift, Part 2: Are You the Position or the Person?

Are you the position or the person?

Bosses can lose their own identity sometimes. It's easy. It happens a lot. The results are devastating to both the workers and to the supervisor.

When we are the boss, there are many dangers in becoming you the 'position' instead of you the 'person'. There are many reasons why supervisors morph into being the serious, alienated, distracted, unapproachable boss. One is that we want so badly to do a good job, and we think one way to do that is to take the job very seriously.

But other reasons are that we don't know how to be a good supervisor and we don't know what this job is that we have been promoted into. The reason is that we don't know how to spend our time, what to concentrate on and what or how to delegate. So we take it all so seriously because we really don't know what we are supposed to do as a supervisor. This creates stress, distress, anxiety and toxicity. This is not only true for new supervisors. It remains true for many veteran bosses for whom people do not like to work.

So supervisors must concentrate on three things, and only three. When they know what these three things are, a lot of the pressure that turns them into the position will be lifted. Then, they can lighten up and be the person they know they are again, as they will know what to do with their time as a supervisor. And, you won't be surprised to learn that these three things are the antidote for staff turnover!

Let's start at the beginning. The top three reasons people leave their jobs:

1st reason, they leave because their supervisor as a jerk;

2nd, because they don't feel acknowledged, recognized or appreciated;

3rd, they have no say in their work

The solution is to prepare and develop self-managed staff who are loyal, stable productive and, for the most part, happy in their jobs.

How do you do that? Let's break it down to the basics, to the ABC's.

We need first, to act (A) upon basic positive beliefs (B) about people. This means we treat them with respect, dignity and make them and their needs our priority. And, second, we need to be clear and specific in our coaching (C) of people to help them do the right job, the right way. This includes teaching them, and listening to them, so they become more responsible, therefore have more say into their work and the products they create.

You'll notice that supervisors are being told to concentrate on the people who work for them and not the job or the final product. If supervisors spend their time attending to these needs of the workers, the products will be superior. Happy workers produce excellent products. And you will be a boss who will eliminate the three reasons above why people leave their jobs.

'Well', you say, 'I can't spend all my time doing that. My bosses have expectations of me, too!' And you are right! Those are the second and third things you do. So here are the three things you spend your time on to remain you as a person, not become you as the position:

Any tasks that only you can do and that are required by any special credential, education or experience you hold.

See! Simple as ABC!

About The Author

Linda LaPointe, MRA, is author of The New Supervisor, who has taught thousands successful supervisory techniques. See part two of this article, buy the book, and sign up for Linda's FREE E-Tools News at www.thenewsupervisor.com; soseniors@yahoo.com

---

MORE RESOURCES:

Oracle to pay $1.9B for Taleo, extends SAP rivalry - FederalNewsRadio.com

FederalNewsRadio.com

Oracle to pay $1.9B for Taleo, extends SAP rivalry FederalNewsRadio.com Oracle is paying $1.9 billion for Taleo Corp., a company that helps businesses manage their employees. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) By ANICK JESDANUN AP Technology Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Oracle Corp. is escalating its rivalry with German ... Oracle to pay $1.9 billion for personnel software company, extends rivalry ...Washington Post Oracle buying Taleo for $1.9 billion, cloud war brewsReuters Oracle Buys Taleo for $1.9 Billion, Adds Human-Resource ToolSan Francisco Chronicle all 482 news articles »

PetroFrontier announces change in management Sacramento Bee 10, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ - (TSX-V: PFC) - PetroFrontier Corp.("PetroFrontier") announced today that Peter Philipchuk, Vice President, Exploration, has resigned from PetroFrontier. PetroFrontier thanks Mr. Philipchuk for his service and wishes him well ... and more »

WTOP

Oracle to pay $1.9B for Taleo, extends SAP rivalry WTOP Oracle is paying $1.9 billion for Taleo Corp., a company that helps businesses manage their employees. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) By ANICK JESDANUN AP Technology Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Oracle Corp. is escalating its rivalry with German ... Oracle's $1.9bn Deal to Buy TaleoZacks.com Oracle to pay $1.9 billion for Taleo, extends SAP rivalryUSA TODAY Taleo Corp Shares Downgraded to "Neutral" by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analysts (TLEO)Web Inquirer all 105 news articles »

TEXT-S&P revises Apollo Investment Corp outlook to stable Reuters (The following statement was released by the rating agency) -- Apollo Investment Corp. (AIC) has announced changes in management, a reduction in its dividend, and adjustments to its investment strategy. -- In our view, changes to the firm's investment ... Apollo Investments Considers Capital Raise; Unveils Management ShiftsWall Street Journal Company News for February 9, 2012Zacks.com Apollo Investment's CEO Discusses Q3 2012 Results - Earnings Call TranscriptSeeking Alpha Economic Times -Tech24 all 30 news articles »

Integrated Asset Management Corp. Announces Results for the First Quarter of ... MarketWatch (press release) TORONTO, ONTARIO, Feb 09, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Integrated Asset Management Corp. ("IAM") /quotes/zigman/18979 CA:IAM -10.00% today announced unaudited financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2011. Review of the 3-Month Period ... and more »

Eaton Vance Closed-end Diversified Equity Income Funds Declare Quarterly ... Sacramento Bee The Funds are managed by Eaton Vance Management, a subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. (NYSE: EV), based in Boston, one of the oldest investment management firms in the United States, with a history dating back to 1924. Eaton Vance and its affiliates ... and more »

State: Revised map led to levee updates Peoria Journal Star He did say, however, that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Army Corps of Engineers became more serious about the country's levee system after the hurricane disaster. Osman said the Corps did an Illinois River study in 2002 and 2003, ... and more »

Contract talks continue at Marathon, Tesoro refineries Reuters Workers at the Marathon Petroleum Corp in Catlettsburg, Kentucky, and the Tesoro Corp Mandan, North Dakota, refinery have rejected management proposals on local issues, said USW spokeswoman Lynne Hancock. "They're not preparing for a strike," Hancock ... and more »

Cabot Corporation - Growth & Income NASDAQ Cabot Corporation ( CBT ) recently delivered its 5th consecutive positive earnings surprise as earnings per share grew 15% year-over-year. And management provided a positive outlook for 2012, prompting analysts to revise their estimates higher. and more »

San Francisco Art Institute Under Investigation For Recruitment Practices Huffington Post ... recruiting practices and job placement reporting at The Art Institute of California in San Francisco and seven other Art Institute campuses across the state, according to a new filing by the for-profit college owner, Education Management Corp. and more »