Becoming Boss

Becoming boss of an office full of people is no small thing. No matter the size of the staff or what their collective responsibilities might be, being the "head honcho" is akin to lifting up a heavy boulder and carrying it around on your shoulders with no break or time-off. As boss, you are the focus of everyone who reports to you. Even on those days when they are busy trying to carry out their individual tasks, you are a dominating part of their thoughts. What will be the boss think? Will the boss approve of how I am doing my work? Should I check in with the boss before I get started? These and countless similar questions plague and drive each staff member.

As the boss, it is a big part of your job to make sure everyone under you does their work to the best of their ability. But what is their "best?" How well do you define that for each member of your staff? How clearly do you assess their performance in terms of judging how close they come to their best? How well do you give each staff member feedback on their performance? How well you, the boss, addresses each of those questions speaks directly to your communication skills. If you are lacking as a communicator, then it has a negative impact on how well your people perform. But if your communication skills are strong, then your people are more likely to do well.

One element that both supervisor and subordinate have in common is that communication determines the success of their work. For the boss to be an effective communicator, they must be well-rounded in their approach to others. Further, they must possess all the needed ingredients to be able to consistently connect with others: be articulate, empathetic, a good and active listener, knowledgeable, a hard worker, and transparent. On top of all that, they must be those things day-in and day-out. Being viewed as a good communicator requires more than doing well every-so-often. Instead, it must be done well every time at bat. Every day. All season long.