We all know that job satisfaction often hinges on the quality of the relationships we have with our bosses. Yet in today\u2019s rapidly evolving, 24\/7 workplaces, it\u2019s not always clear what managers should do to create the most satisfying work experiences and the happiest employees. My research into the world\u2019s most successful bosses has unearthed some common practices that make work much more meaningful and enjoyable. If you supervise others, make sure you do the following:<\/p>\n
Manage individuals, not teams. When you\u2019re under pressure, it\u2019s easy to forget that employees are unique individuals, with varying interests, abilities, goals, and styles of learning. But it\u2019s important to customize your interactions with them. Ensure you understand what makes them tick. Be available and accessible for one-on-one conversations. Deliver lessons cued to individual developmental needs. And when it comes to promotion, look past rigid competency models and career ladders for growth opportunities tailored to the ambitions, talents, and capacities of each person.<\/p>\n
Dr. Paul Batalden, a professor emeritus at Dartmouth College\u2019s Geisel School of Medicine, who previously worked under Tommy Frist at healthcare giant HCA, told me that his former boss was \u201csuch an unusual CEO\u201d of a company that size. \u201cYou could always get to see him. He always had time.\u201d Samuel Howard, another Frist prot\u00e9g\u00e9 who is now CEO of Xantus Corp, added, \u201cwhen you asked him to do something, he would roll up his sleeves\u201d and work with you to get it done.<\/p>\n
Go big on meaning. Most employees value jobs that let them contribute and make a difference, and many organizations now emphasize meaning and purpose in the hopes of fostering engagement. But this is also the manager\u2019s responsibility. You can\u2019t rely on incentives like bonuses, stock options, or raises. You\u2019ve got to inspire them with a vision, set challenging goals and pump up their confidence so they believe they can actually win. Articulate a clear purpose that fires your team up, set expectations high, and convey to the group that you think they\u2019re capable of virtually anything.<\/p>\n
Legendary bosses like Bill Sanders in real estate, Julian Robertson in hedge funds, and Bill Walsh in professional football all communicated visions that entranced employees and left them hell-bent on success. Scot Sellers, a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of Sanders who went on to become CEO of Archstone before retiring in 2013, recalled that his former boss \u201cwould lay out his vision and say, \u2018I would like you to be a part of it.\u2019 You were so honored to be asked\u2026 that you just wanted to jump in and say, \u2018Sign me up!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Focus on feedback. A 2013 Society for Human Resource Management survey of managers in the U.S. found that \u201conly 2% provide ongoing feedback to their employees.\u201d Just 2%! Many bosses limit themselves to the dreaded \u201cperformance review\u201d and often mingle developmental feedback with discussions about compensation and promotion, rendering the former much less effective.<\/p>\n
As I\u2019ve written elsewhere<\/u><\/a>, some organizations are changing their ways, but even if yours sticks with traditional reviews, you can still supplement that with the kind of continuous, personalized feedback that the best bosses employ. Use regular\u2014at least weekly\u2014one-on-one conversations to give lots of coaching. Make the feedback clear, honest and constructive, and frame it so that it promotes independence and initiative.<\/p>\n Hedge fund manager Chase Coleman remembered that his former boss and backer, Tiger Management founder Julian Robertson, was \u201cvery good at understanding what motivated people and how to extract maximum performance out of [them]. . . . For some, that [meant] encouraging them, and for others, it [meant] making them feel less comfortable. He would adjust his feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t just talk\u2026 listen. Employees tend to be happiest when they feel free to contribute new ideas and take initiative, and most managers claim they want people who do just that. So why doesn\u2019t it happen more often? Usually the problem is that bosses promote their own views too strongly. Employees wonder: \u201cWhy bother taking risks with new ideas when my boss\u2019s views are already so fixed?\u201d<\/p>\n The best leaders spend a great deal of time listening. They pose problems and challenges, then ask questions to enlist the entire team in generating solutions. They reward innovation and initiative, and encourage everyone in the group to do the same.<\/p>\n Football coach Walsh went out of his way to encourage input not only from his assistant coaches, but also from the players themselves. He did this before the game, during the game, and afterwards when watching game film. This more collaborative approach probably had something to do with his track record with the San Francisco 49ers: six division titles, three NFC Championship titles and three Super Bowl wins.<\/p>\n Be consistent. Who could be happy with a boss who does one thing one day and another thing the next? It\u2019s hard to feel motivated when the bar is always shifting in unpredictable ways and you never know what to expect or how to get ahead. So be consistent in your management style, vision, expectations, feedback and openness to new ideas. If change becomes necessary, acknowledge it openly and quickly.<\/p>\n Kyle Craig, who worked with restaurant impresario Norman Brinker at Burger King in the 1980s, remembered his boss\u2019s consistent humility. \u201cHe was never unwilling to admit his failures and mistakes, which puts people around him very much at ease.\u201d Bill Walsh, meanwhile, came across as consistently confident. As former 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark remarked, \u201cThere was just an attitude. He walked with a strut almost\u2014not cocky, just very confident.\u201d These superbosses had dramatically different approaches, yet both worked well because they were consistent.<\/p>\n No behavior a boss adopts will guarantee happy employees, but managers who follow these five key practices will find that they will help improve well-being, engagement, and productivity on any team. The common denominator is attentiveness. Pay close attention to your employees as individuals. Take that extra bit of time to build their confidence and articulate a vision; to provide constant, ongoing, high quality feedback; and to listen to their ideas. And ensure that your own messages are consistent. Is it hard work? Yes. But it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n Sydney Finkelstein is the Steven Roth Professor of Management and Director of the Leadership Center at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. His new book is <\/em>Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Manage the Flow of Talent<\/u><\/em><\/a> (Portfolio\/Penguin, February 2016).<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We all know that job satisfaction often hinges on the quality of the relationships we have with our bosses. Yet in today\u2019s rapidly evolving, 24\/7 workplaces, it\u2019s not always clear what managers should do to create the most satisfying work experiences and the happiest employees. My research into the world\u2019s most successful bosses has unearthed … Continue reading What Amazing Bosses Do Differently \u2013 Harvard Business Review<\/span>