What bosses wish their employees knew

What would you like to tell your employees? 

Your Rant: I am frustrated by the people that I manage. They are always willing to blame the boss for problems, but they never seem to acknowledge how they’ve contributed to the mess.

911 Repair:

Whenever I think of what it is like to be a boss today, I think of the Commodore Hotel. During the Beirut Civil War this was the hotel of choice for journalists. When you checked into the hotel they didn’t ask, “Smoking or nonsmoking?” At the Commodore they asked, “Shelling side or sniper side?”

I don’t want to make excuses for bad bossing, but employees also need to learn to appreciate the challenges of bossing today. Like the Commodore, it’s tough to boss when you’re getting sniped by your employees and shelled by your own boss. Below I’ve listed some questions to help everyone appreciate the challenges of the corner office. For more, check out, “I Wish You Would Just …” by Todd McDonald and Kyndra Wilson (www.WalkTheTalk.com).

Can you do a better job of asking questions when you don’t understand? For every boss that gets annoyed when an employee asks a question, there are many more who appreciate them. Sure there will be times when even the most patient boss will bark at your questions, so always be ready to remind them that you are asking the questions so you can do the job the right way.

Do you bring problems you have with the boss TO the boss? Feeding the grapevine with horror stories about your boss may make you feel better, but it won’t help your boss to change. That’s why it’s so important, if you have a good relationship with your boss, to bring your concerns directly to him or her. If you don’t, see if you can talk to HR or someone who has the respect of both you and your boss.

Can you take more responsibility? Again, for every micromanager boss there are many more bosses who love to see their people take initiative. Look around your department at the people who are leading projects and in positions of responsibility. Figure out why certain people accumulate responsibility and see if they are doing things that you should be doing.

Are you willing to try new things? Offer to serve on task forces, tackle new projects, etc. Develop the reputation as someone who is open-minded and ready to tackle a new challenge.

Do you thank them for a job well done? Sure your boss has a nicer office, bigger paycheck, etc. But they are still human beings (that said, I’m sure at least a few of you will write to me to challenge the humanity of your boss) and everyone appreciates a pat on the back. As long as you steer clear of sucking up, it makes sense to acknowledge when the boss turns in an outstanding performance.

Use these strategies and you’ll turn that civil war into a much more civil place to work.

Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell author the nationally syndicated workplace911 column weekly. Bob’s a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who has responded to over 50,000 emails from employees, bosses and entrepreneurs. Sherrie’s a relationship expert and award-winning comedian who has offered quick, intuitive and humorous responses to over 30,000 people. He’s been called “Dilbert, with a solution.” She’s the counselor with a kick. Together they’ve turned rants into raves via TV, radio, print and live on their website at workplace911.com.