What is a Great Boss and Why Are Employees Grateful to Have One?
I’ve had some really great bosses in my life. When I think of them, I often smile because I know how instrumental they were in shaping my career, giving me a thirst for the pursuit of excellence, and launching me into the world of owning my own market research firm. I will forever be grateful to those who encouraged, inspired, disciplined, and recognized me throughout the early years of my career. They made me a happy employee and in turn, I did as much as I could for the customers we served together.
As part of our annual tradition, we canvassed our database of mystery shoppers and contacted some of our clients to ask them to share the stories of the great bosses they’ve had in their lives. We were overwhelmed with responses but selected some of our favorites to pass along to all of you.
Take the example shared by one of our valued clients who works for a publishing firm we serve. She says. “I think the best boss I ever had was “the best” to me because of the mutual respect she had for each employee. She took the time to get to know her employees beyond their job titles. This particular boss understood everyone’s quirks along with their likes and dislikes. She also took the time to understand the role that each employee played in the office, understood each person’s responsibilities and how their functions related in the day-to-day operations. She respected the employee, the job they had, and in turn it was very easy to respect her and the position she held. I would definitely work for her again in a heartbeat! She rewarded hard work and was there to encourage and support you when you needed it. In my opinion, the greatest bosses understand the idea that respect needs to go in both directions, and this boss in particular had that down pat!”
The managing partner of a Philadelphia-based special events company and friend to Market Viewpoint, said that his definition of a great boss is one who truly “listens” to their employees and is aware that there are many ways in which people need to be heard.
Our mystery shoppers had some wonderful stories to share, too. One of our shoppers from Florida had this to say. “I was working at the airport when I got the news that my Dad had a heart attack. I needed to leave town and help the family. My boss told me to go and take care of the things that needed my attention. He told me that my job would always be here for me. I can’t tell you how good that felt – how much pressure was lifted from me when my boss told me to go and take care of my family assuring me that I would still get paid, and not to worry about my job! That man was a saint. I was truly dedicated to my job from that point forward – all due to the way I was treated by that manager. I spent the rest of my career at this airport until my retirement.”
Another story from one of our mystery shoppers involves the way she was trained to do her job as a shopper. As independent contractors, shoppers really appreciate it when they are coached on the areas of their work that need improvement. Our shopper had this to share. “This experience involved an editor at the company for which I performed my very first mystery shop. Rather than dock my pay for some corrections that needed to be made this woman called me and coached me on how to improve my report. It paid off because the next two jobs I did I got a rating of 10 -superior work!!”
So, how about you? Who were the bosses you worked for that inspired you? Are there any qualities that you can weave into your own management style that will help to inspire and encourage the next generation of employees? Remember happy employees result in happy customers and isn’t that what we’re all after?
Happy Thanksgiving and thanks to all the great bosses out there!
