To have great employees, you need to be a great boss! It's a no-brainer; the better you are, the greater their morale and productivity.
But if your employees are suffering from low morale, it might have something to do with your leadership style. You might, in fact, be a bad boss!
So, ask yourself these questions to clarify the kind of boss you are. We are hoping it's the former because we would hate to work for you if it's the latter!
Do you understand your duty of care to your employees?
All employers have a duty of care to their employees. As stated here, this is related to the health, safety, and general welfare of your employees. It's not only a moral obligation, as it's a legal requirement, and as an employer, you could find yourself in very hot water if you don't take steps to protect your staff.
A good boss would take steps to fulfil their duty. They would risk-assess the workplace and take precautionary measures to safeguard their employees. They would spend money training their employees, perhaps with the services of Apple Group Training, to ensure everybody was up to speed on health and safety. And a good boss would operate an open-door policy, so employees would feel able to approach them with any concerns as to their welfare at work.
A bad boss would overlook their duty of care. Sure, they might have an understanding of it, but they might not take steps to fulfil their responsibilities. They would skip the risk assessment stage, and/or refuse to pay out any money on repairs or training that would secure their employee's safety. And a bad boss wouldn't react favourably to any employee who approached them with any concerns. "I don't have time for your petty complaints" they might say, as they slammed the door in the face of the employee!
So, which boss are you?
Do you have your employee's best interests at heart?
When running a business, it's not only about what your employees can do for you, as it's also about what you can do for them. Sure, you want them to work hard and get the job done, but if you don't do anything to raise their morale, then they might turn tail and leave your company.
A good boss would offer their employees opportunities to improve themselves. With outside training and one-to-one guidance, they would help the employee advance within the company. A good boss would also recognise and reward the good work done by the employee, celebrating achievements and offering incentives, so the employee knew they were appreciated in their position.
A bad boss would offer no such opportunities for the employee to improve, and perhaps because they don't want their own position threatened, they might actively stop the employee from progressing. Rather than offering encouragement, a bad boss might also criticise unduly, without that criticism being constructive. And they would rule with punishment instead of reward, with threats of docked pay and the prospect of being fired, to ensure their employees did as they were supposed to. But as is discussed here, this is clearly not the way to motivate employees.
So, which boss are you?
Finally
Are you a good boss? Whether you are just starting out in business or if you have been working for a longer time period, you need to check yourself to make sure you are doing right by your employees. You will demolish their morale if you don't, and you might just lose them to your competitors. So, think then. Ask yourself that question - am I a good or a bad boss? - and make improvements if you fall towards the latter. Your staff and your business depend upon it.
