Youth Incorporated Magazine

The relationship between and employer and employee is a sensitive one and must be managed with care. Yashmi Adani tells you how

How true is it that when we hear the word ‘boss’ the thought of an intimidating man (of course not a woman because, patriarchy) whom you metaphorically kneel before because you need him to buy that Gucci belt you’ve been eyeing, comes to mind? It’s not all your fault. Turns out, your boss is actually extremely important to your attitude towards work. Your productivity is directly related to your boss’ attitude towards his/her employees. So how do you choose your boss wisely? To a large extent, the boss will control your assignments and your work environment, so it makes sense to try to learn more about him/her long before you’re hired. Not that you’ll have a lot of time to ask your questions during the interview, but make sure you have a set of questions prepared so you can get to know the person you’ll be working under. More often than not, people choose their workplace, the workplace doesn’t choose them, but the employer-employee relation has high chances of turning sour. This is why in today’s world it is extremely unusual to encounter people who actually like their boss. Bosses, are you offended?

Now that we’ve established how important your boss is to you, let’s focus on ways to change this relationship from dreadful to awesome.

Employers, maybe you should take notes too.  After all understanding the issues is the best way to work out a problem.

Poor communication

If your employees seem to dislike you or seem uncomfortable with something, maybe you should try to find out why. Also remember to pass on messages using the right channels and in proper time.

Integrity

Research shows that over 80 per cent employees value integrity over all leadership characteristics. Employers; dishonesty tarnishes your image at the workplace and makes you less reliable.

Criticism

Employees tend to assume, that higher the position, the lesser the emotional intelligence. Now while this may or may not be true, employers, try to avoid discouraging or criticizing too much. Even if an employee is to be reprimanded, do it firmly, yet gently at the same time.  Try not to make it a public affair as well.

Lack of recognition

A whopping 91 per cent of employees all say they want more appreciation for their hard work. All it takes is a simple ‘good job’ or a ‘well done’ can go a long way in retaining employees.  Bosses are you reading this?

Make good on your word

Many bosses fail to fulfill their commitments, either through a lack of maturity or poor self-management. When this doesn’t happen, they generate a lack of credibility and respect, which is dangerous for your reputation.

Understanding

While this is part of communication, many bosses don’t take the time to empathize and really hear what employees are telling them. They lack understanding skills to really connect with their employees. Get to know a little about their families and personal lives and what hobbies they may have

Favoritism

Employees dislike bosses that play favourites and leave others out which leads to resentment. Maintain an even playing field and give every employee equal opportunities. Resentment hinders productivity and affects the end-result of a company.

Little to no training or coaching

In our fast paced corporate life, bosses have abdicated their responsibilities to help employees win or get to the next level. Invest in your employees, because if they cannot see themselves getting somewhere, they lose interest in the organization.

Refrain from mistreating your employees

Respect for another person, from a peon to the CEO, is imperative in a corporate environment. Mistreating will, again, cause resentment among employees which harms the company’s productivity.

What can you, as an employee, do to keep your relationship healthy?

Co-operate and Take Initiative

No matter what field you work in, it’s important to let your boss feel like (s)he can rely on you to take the initiative at all times. Make sure you schedule a meeting with him/her at regular intervals to update them about your work. It’s important for you and your boss to both feel comfortable in the relationship. Don’t shy away from a little extra responsibility even though you don’t see any appreciation for it. Generate goodwill with your. Promotion is the long term incentive.

Be Innovative

Is there a new, more fun yet cost effective way of doing the things you already do? Pitch it. Don’t keep your ideas to yourself. If one person has the potential to make the entire workplace a little more tolerable by just being innovative and excited about things, they should take the step and do it. Too many people hate their jobs already.

Do not befriend him/her

While this relationship is a potential minefield, it’s in no way impossible. No matter what you do, it is important to draw the line between your professional and personal relationships. While it’s okay to go out for an occasional drink, it’s unhealthy to be spending too much post-work time together. In a normal employer-employee relationship, there are some things you would never imagine discussing at work. However, once you are friends, that guard comes down and you divulge information you didn’t intend on. As a result, you end up arming the person who has the power to promote or fire you with your nasty little secrets.

Despite what you may think, your boss is human, just like you and has a common goal at the office. Although your personalities maybe different, resilience and cooperation are key.