Rarely do we think of job interviews as hiring our next boss, but that is exactly what we are doing. It's a shame it's so hard to relax in an interview and make sure we like not only what we would be doing but who would be guiding the experience. You don't have to work long in your life to experience both great and terrible bosses. Many a good boss won't even like the title "boss" because the word itself sounds like poor leadership.
As a young manager, I was given authority over a process but no authority over the people executing it. I thought this situation impossible, but discovered that having power over people, while not the same as having authority, can be equally effective. In essence, I had to win them over to my way of thinking. Persuasion endures longer than a command.
If you have people reporting to you, you essentially have work children. I'll confess I do judge parenting skills when I see the behavior of their children. Do they obey out of respect or fear? Do they laugh together, but know when it is time to be serious? Do they have respect for others? In the work place, do the work children whine and snivel and wait for their next feeding? Or do they happily work independently knowing they are loved and will not be judged unfairly?
If your word is solid, your work children will not need to be nagged repeatedly. They will know that if something is not completed consequences will follow and they will learn you do not exaggerate. If you make up excuses for not showing up to meetings, you should expect that the stories they will tell for the same thing will be quite creative. If you spend every waking hour at the office, your little lemmings will too, because even if they don't think you are doing the right thing, they will think YOU believe that, and will somehow expect them to do it also.
Some of the work children will dare to defy you. This might mean they are growing up; it might mean you need a woodshed. Woodshed worthy behavior is easily identifiable, because it is highly emotional and reactive. It quite often lacks logic, and almost always lacks listening skills. And sadly, it rarely comes from children who used to act grown up are suddenly are not. It usually comes from the work children that never really want to grow up.
There is a sad number of bosses who'd prefer their work children never grow up, because it is threatening to them. If you have a boss like this, try to find a new work parent. You will never thrive under leadership that doesn't want you to grow. Before you think, "that's impossible, in this economy I just have to live with it," I'd challenge you to pray about it. Sometimes we learn the most valuable lessons from bad bosses...like how to avoid being one. Try to forgive them too, if you sense they are trying to do better. I've made some mistakes as a boss I wish I could undo, but I can't. All I can do is continue to grow up and work to be a great leader some day.
As a young manager, I was given authority over a process but no authority over the people executing it. I thought this situation impossible, but discovered that having power over people, while not the same as having authority, can be equally effective. In essence, I had to win them over to my way of thinking. Persuasion endures longer than a command.
If you have people reporting to you, you essentially have work children. I'll confess I do judge parenting skills when I see the behavior of their children. Do they obey out of respect or fear? Do they laugh together, but know when it is time to be serious? Do they have respect for others? In the work place, do the work children whine and snivel and wait for their next feeding? Or do they happily work independently knowing they are loved and will not be judged unfairly?
If your word is solid, your work children will not need to be nagged repeatedly. They will know that if something is not completed consequences will follow and they will learn you do not exaggerate. If you make up excuses for not showing up to meetings, you should expect that the stories they will tell for the same thing will be quite creative. If you spend every waking hour at the office, your little lemmings will too, because even if they don't think you are doing the right thing, they will think YOU believe that, and will somehow expect them to do it also.
Some of the work children will dare to defy you. This might mean they are growing up; it might mean you need a woodshed. Woodshed worthy behavior is easily identifiable, because it is highly emotional and reactive. It quite often lacks logic, and almost always lacks listening skills. And sadly, it rarely comes from children who used to act grown up are suddenly are not. It usually comes from the work children that never really want to grow up.
There is a sad number of bosses who'd prefer their work children never grow up, because it is threatening to them. If you have a boss like this, try to find a new work parent. You will never thrive under leadership that doesn't want you to grow. Before you think, "that's impossible, in this economy I just have to live with it," I'd challenge you to pray about it. Sometimes we learn the most valuable lessons from bad bosses...like how to avoid being one. Try to forgive them too, if you sense they are trying to do better. I've made some mistakes as a boss I wish I could undo, but I can't. All I can do is continue to grow up and work to be a great leader some day.
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