How many times have you heard a boss say something along the lines of, “managing people isn’t a popularity contest?” I know I have not only heard it more than once, but I have probably said it myself a few times. As a boss it is hard to make tough decisions, but can you make the tough calls and still be popular with employees?
I read an article in Entrepreneur Magazine last summer entitled “Why should Your Employees Like You?” It was an interesting article that actually had more to do with being respected than with being liked, but it did contain some interesting tips on things managers can do to be proactive in the “popularity” department. There are several great ideas on how to avoid becoming disliked such as avoiding double standards and not asking others to do tasks you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself. The main perspective I took away from the article was that while it is tough to quantify the value of being a popular boss it is certainly much easier to see the negative effects of being disliked or unpopular particularly as we continue to emerge from the recession.
I guess you could say that this week’s blog is a companion piece to the one from two weeks ago titled “Low Morale in the Workplace- Causes and Cures”. I am very passionate about how important it is to have high morale in the workplace and my personal opinion is that it all starts at the top. The company’s that come out of the lean times positioned to grow with a happy, motivated workforce are the ones that are most likely to be the big winners in 2010 and beyond.
So, the answer to the title question is a qualified yes, the boss should be popular or at least respected and not unpopular. I have listed below some ideas to help bosses everywhere become more popular on the job while still earning the respect of employees.
1) No Double Standards- I mentioned this one that was listed in the magazine article I referred to above. Don’t live by one set of rules and expect others to live by another. People take their cues from leadership and it will either help you or hurt you based on how you live by the rules at work.
2) Don’t Get Outworked- Over the last year many employees have been asked to pick up the extra work, once done by others, more than at any time in recent memory. To be a popular boss it is important that you work harder than you are asking anyone else to work. If everyone but you is working harder it won’t help move your “popularity meter “in a positive direction.
3) Show Your Appreciation- Try to catch others doing things right and publically acknowledge it. As a boss we certainly have ample opportunity to have corrective conversations. Try to spend at least twice as much time pointing out what people are doing right and your team will respond in a positive way.
4) Give Back in Recognition of Outstanding Effort- Catching people doing something right isn’t enough on its own. Try doing unexpected nice things to recognize the efforts of those who give outstanding performances. A company lunch in their honor, gift certificates, an additional day of personal leave, or other such things are perfect ways to say thanks in a meaningful way which helps make the boss more popular.
These are just a few ways to improve your popularity as a boss. I am not advocating going soft or backing off on holding employees accountable. The tough stuff still has to get done but, when it is required, it goes down a lot easier if the boss is liked and respected.
Chuck Terry is the Executive Vice President and CSO of Carew International and is regular contributor to Carew’s blog – Executive Insights
Carew International is a leader in sales training and leadership development; specializing in comprehensive, proven training programs for sales, sales management and customer service excellence. For over 30 years, Carew has earned its reputation of delivering increased productivity and profitability to our valued clients world wide.
