bosses, are you listening?

another article from Yahoo!News.

7 Things Your Boss Should Never Say to You

1. "I pay your salary. You have to do what I say."
Threats and power plays just do not cut it anymore (and they were always a terrible way to manage). ~~ I believe I haven't said these exact words yet. ~~

2. "I don't want to listen to your complaints.
It may be annoying, even painful, but that's why you get the big bucks. And even if a problem absolutely can't be helped, allowing your employees to vent can go a long way toward restoring morale and building loyalty. ~~ Ohhhhh.... Ouch! hehehe ~~

3. "I was here on Saturday afternoon. Where were you?"
This kind of "subtle" pressure to work 24/7 is a good way to burn out your employees. You may choose to work seven days a week. That's your call. But your employees shouldn't have to. ~~ No, i'm not guilty. ~~

4. "Isn't your performance review coming up soon?"
Maybe you're trying to motivate an employee to do a better job. Either way, a statement like this is not only tacky and passive-aggressive, it's ineffective. If you really want to motivate people, consider giving them a stake in the success of your enterprise. Show employees you value them. Let them know what they have to gain by doing a good job. ~~ Not me! Okay, I was tempted, once! ~~

5. "We've always done it this way."
Your employees may actually have a pretty good idea of how to do their jobs. Maybe they know even more than you. Your job as boss is to encourage them to have the energy and motivation to be innovative. In fact, employees who come up with better ways to do things should be celebrated and rewarded. (Hint: Cash is nice.) ~~ Yeah, somehow. ~~

6. "We need to cut costs."
Nothing breeds resentment more than asking employees to tighten their belts while you, to their eyes, are living it up. ~~ Guilty, attendance and punctuality. ~~

7. "You should work better."
Managers need to communicate expectations clearly. Don't assume. Managers need to to give employees the tools they need to do a good job, to set reasonable deadlines, and to offer help if needed. ~~ I'm not sure. ~~

In summary, leaders lead by inspiring, teaching, encouraging, and, yes, serving their employees. Good leaders never need to threaten. So keep your word, set a good example, praise in public, criticize in private, respect your employees' capabilities, give credit where credit is due, learn to delegate, and when you ask for feedback don't forget to respond to it. Being sensitive to other people's feelings is good karma. Leading by example is the best way to lead. The bottom line is that in the workplace, respect, a little tact, and a good attitude go both ways.
~~ Ouch sa attendance lang naman. And tact. Or meron pang iba? ~~

Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at http://www.blogger.com/www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com/.