Good Boss vs. Great Boss “People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Being a boss is no easy feat. While you need to ensure that your team’s goals are aligned with the company’s goals,

it is equally important to value the inputs of your team members and to create an environment that is cohesive to

their development.

Accomplishing your duties may leave you with little to no time for your own growth as a boss. In this world, where

people easily take refuge in appreciation and delve on self-satisfaction, you may fail to go beyond the goods. The

journey from a good boss to a great boss needs the mindset to excel and the passion to be better than good. But this

transition requires you to first understand how a great boss actually differs from a good boss.

Goal accomplishment

There is no denying that goal accomplishment is one of the KRAs of managers and bosses, but that’s not the only

thing. While good bosses accomplish goals; great bosses are those who accomplish them effectively and efficiently.

They go the extra mile to ensure that the achieved results not just meet the company’s set targets, but improve

upon them.

Flow of ideas

While it feels amazing to see bosses who invite ideas from their teams, it feels incredible to see bosses who not just

invite ideas but encourage and instigate them. A good boss may just ask for ideas after a meeting. Whereas, a great

boss conducts one-on-one sessions to help the team members brainstorm for creative, thoughtful ideas that can

help the organization. “What is it that I need to do to encourage the flow of ideas in the company?” That’s a

question that would keep a great boss busy most of the times.

Appreciation and recognition

Yes, a good boss is the one that appreciates and recognizes the efforts of the employees.; but a great boss is the one

who creates such an environment where the staff feels appreciated constantly – rather than at certain occasions.

The sense of being valued is what keeps the teams of great bosses going.

Feedback

Good bosses believe in sharing constructive feedback with their staff. They develop a culture where giving and

receiving feedback and/or criticism isn’t difficult at all. On the other hand, great bosses are those who don’t just give

feedback openly, but also provide the right advice and solutions to put that feedback to great use. Their teams look

up to them for suggestions that can help them improve. When people know what they are required to do, when

they have a specific direction in front of them, they aren’t afraid to embrace opportunities – and that’s what great

bosses provide to their subordinates – a sense of direction.

Accessibility

Being there for your team members is wonderful for sure. A good boss might say to the staff, “Should you need any

help, I am just a call away!” Such bosses believe in an open-door policy and make sure that they are there when their

people need them. In contrast, there are great bosses who are not just there when their team members need them

but also inspire them to achieve more out of the problems that come their way. They inspire action and seek results

that are extraordinary. They know their presence will only matter if it brings something new to the table. And that’s

what they deliver by being there and driving people to give their best performances – always.

Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time If you are someone who faces a constant time crunch and who thinks that there is so much to do every day but very

little time to do that, then this article is for you. While you may think that you aren’t managing your time right, the

truth is: it is your energy that you need to manage.

Having more time in hand will not really help if you don’t have the energy to do things well. In order to spend a

mentally and physically active day, it is absolutely important to have your focus on energy management. Let’s take a

look at some ways to handle your energy well, rather than fretting over that never-ending dearth of time.

Observe and make changes. First things first. Understand what is it that you are doing wrong. What is it that is

depleting your energy? Is it overthinking, poor eating habits, multitasking or anything else that is draining your

energy? Identify the cause, rectify your mistakes and take hold of your energy levels.

Build a healthy body. It is no brainer that a healthy body is an energetic one, but it is one of the most neglected

aspects of today’s sedentary lifestyle that has taken precedence over active living. Binge eating, drinking, sitting idle,

reading while lying on the bed, being hooked to laptops, mobiles and televisions have put your health at risk. When

you are not active, when you are too busy to hit the gym, you do more harm to your body than what you can even

imagine. By exercising regularly and having a healthy diet plan you can create a fit body. A healthy person doesn’t

get tired easily and can channelize the energy on different tasks to accomplish more in less time.

Meditate. Just like being physically fit is important to have more energy, so is being mentally sound. Meditation is

the exercise for the brain. From improving your mental health and memory to creating a better sense of self,

meditation can do all this and much more. It brings clarity of thoughts and helps you concentrate on your work

better. What’s more? It even protects you from stress, anxiety, depression, and several other mood disorders that

may act as an obstruction in achieving your work goals.

Take care of your emotional energy too. Controlling your emotions is another excellent way to increase your

productivity. Recognize, evaluate and respond to your emotions well. If you are feeling frustrated, then take some

time off. Relax and then resume your work by thinking rationally. Don’t let anger, mood swings and panic attacks

ruin your day. Control your breathing and for a few minutes perform deep breathing for a relaxed state of mind.

Remember that when you feel upbeat, you are able to perform your best.

Keep a track of your energy levels. Conduct an energy audit and find out the time patterns when you are most

active in the day. Some people find their energy levels at peak during the beginning of the day, while others may feel

more energetic after lunch. To figure out when are you most active in the day, note down how you feel every hour

and keep a track of your energy levels. Complete your most important tasks when you are most active and manage

both your energy and time better.

What Motivates Employees more. Rewards or Punishments? The "Father of Liberalism", the great English philosopher and physician John Locke once said, “Good and evil, reward

and punishment, are the only motives to a rational creature: these are the spur and reins whereby all mankind are set

on work, and guided.” Over the years, several studies have proved this notion to be true.

Every workplace has people with diverse personalities working together to achieve mutual goals. While some people

respond to rewards better, there are many who show increased productivity only through the fear of punishment.

The carrot and stick approach of motivation has been a critical instrument in driving productivity at the workplace.

But what is it that motivates the employees more? Let’s find out!

The ‘Reward’ Factor

You may have read several books on motivating employees through rewards, but it is not easy. Even though many

people believe that positive reinforcement does have a greater chance to improve employee morale and

contribution, motivating employees through rewards is far more challenging than what seems to be the scenario.

You can motivate employees with incentives, bonus, appreciations, recognition, etc. for their individual and/or team

performances, but all these have to be realistic and well-defined. Ill-defined goals and linked rewards can do more

harm than good to an organization.

Therefore, managers who really wish their teams to excel should have sessions with them to know what motivates

them and what rewards could get them going. While some may prefer cash rewards, there are many who would look

forward to having paid leaves, work from home opportunities or flexible timing options. This is the reason why

tailored rewards work best for each employee.

However, being too easy with rewards is a big no. In a system where everybody gets easily rewarded for tasks done

well, there might creep in sluggishness at times. Even worse would be situations in which high achievers may start

flaunting an unwarranted ‘superior’ attitude at work.

The ‘Punishment’ Factor

Can a person’s behavior be changed through negative conditioning? Can you change the attitude of your workforce

by allowing them to escape from aversive stimuli? Well, experts say you can. Disciplinary actions like demotions,

fines, penalties, are some examples of punishments that are used to drive discipline at the workplace.

When people are accustomed to deliver mediocre or below average performances, when they constantly fail to

achieve goals, then rewards couldn’t really work wonders. This is when the ‘stick’ element has to be introduced.

It is important to be careful though. An environment that runs on too many punishments may make it difficult for

employees to flourish, they may hesitate to bring out their creativity or to think out of the box. Furthermore, this

could also lead to retaliatory behavior or workforce resentment.

Reward or Punishment – What is better?

In this never-ending yet equally vital subject of motivation — several researchers have indicated that in order to

motivate employees, both rewards and punishments are important in an organization. A balanced approach is

required where people are rewarded for great performances and reprimanded for poor behavior or for incessant

failures.

Understand that true motivation comes down to elements like autonomy, interesting tasks, creative freedom, and

equal participation. In a world, where businesses constantly face fierce competition, only motivated employees can

help them survive in the long run. Keep your workforce motivated. Communicate, inspire and excel.

How to Motivate Your Employees to Go Beyond. Almost every organization has a few extra milers, who aren’t afraid to go beyond their jobs to contribute towards

the organizational success. These employees play a quintessential role in bringing more laurels to the company

through their extra efforts, hard work, initiatives, active participation in challenging projects, these employees.

“Energy is contagious: either you affect people, or you infect people.” – T. Harv Eker, Author

Imagine a team where every employee is an ‘extra miler’, willing to go above and beyond their job roles. No, that’s

not an impracticable vision. And yes, managers can motivate their teams to go beyond their jobs and contribute

unreservedly towards the success of their organizations. Here’s how you can achieve that.

Communicate more and better. Motivated employees, the real go-getters, are those who aren’t afraid to share their

feelings, ideas, and thoughts with the higher management. They believe in themselves and the organization. To help

them progress, it is the duty of every manager to create transparency in communication. Employees should freely

take stands on matters they wish to participate in.

They should be able to express their views, their goals and discuss issues that are pertinent to them. Such employees

would feel that they are a valuable part of the organization and they won’t really hesitate in going out of their way to

contribute to the growth of the organization in its entirety.

Work, expectations, and results. If you really want your employees to go beyond their jobs and do as much as they

can to help the company progress, then begin right. Tell them their responsibilities. Explain to them what is expected

out of them. Talk to them about the results that they ought to achieve. And most importantly, help them visualize

the scenarios where they can achieve more than what is expected from them and how are they capable to

outperform the set targets.

Connect them directly with company’s success. By making them understand their role and purpose in the growth of

the organization, you ensure that they will have no qualms in working efficiently. Reinforce the belief that you have

in them and they will not disappoint you.

Give a better experience. Just like open communication is important to drive motivation in the workplace, giving a

better experience where employees feel respected is necessary. Conduct regular meetings with your team members

to help them understand how well they are contributing to the success of the company. Give them the autonomy

they need and the freedom to bring more ideas to the table, the opportunity to take important decisions on their

own. They will feel trusted and obligated to reciprocate this trust towards the organization.

Moreover, it is highly essential to cultivate a work culture that rests on cooperation, not competition. People should

be willing to work with each other and think of ways to contribute collectively. Organizations, where group

performances outstrip individual performances, are bound to succeed.

Rethink Leadership. Leaders who try to boss around can never make their teams feel motivated. You must rethink

leadership and transform into a mentor to really be a great leader. Don’t just listen, but listen to bring a change. Help

your employees achieve more by leading by example.

If you want your team to put in extra efforts for meeting the impending deadline of an important project, then don’t

sit idle. Work twice as hard as your team does and your employees will be motivated to contribute to the project the

way you do. Remember this quote from Cory Booker: “Leadership is not a position or a title, it is action and

example.”