Reforming the bad boss

3 steps to go from devil to angel

Ever wonder why employees are always quitting? Tired of having to train new employees when the old ones leave? High employee turnover hurts morale, productivity and ultimately the company's bottom line.

But maybe the turnover isn't the fault of employees. Maybe it's time to re-evaluate how the boss views and treats employees, according to Dr. Noelle Nelson, author of The Power of Appreciation in Business.

"Some bosses, especially entrepreneurs, became successful by trouncing the competition and having a driven nature," said Nelson. "That type of personality often times does not translate well when interacting with employees. It's 'do it my way or your out' and employees eventually decide 'out' is better than sticking around an ungrateful boss."

Other types of bosses feel they are entitled to yell at or belittle their employees, said Nelson. "It's the school bully syndrome, only this time, the bully is the boss," she said. "Leading by intimidation usually doesn't get you far. It only produces fearful or disgruntled employees with zero company loyalty."

HR can help the 'devilish' bosses make a change. Some of Nelson's suggestions include:

1. Catch employees in the act of doing something right. Encourage the boss to appreciate and reward employees for good work on a spontaneous and unanticipated basis, which encourages continued good work and effort. Specific comments — such as "The specs you wrote up really make a difference to X customer" — are more effective than general "great job" comments.

2. Make heroes of direct reports and colleagues. Have the boss collect stories of work done well, of those who went the extra mile or kept their spirits up in the face of challenges. Spread the news throughout the company. Discourage negative talk and gossip about anyone or anything. Discourage conversations like "the economy is terrible" or "customers are a nuisance." Don't diminish the power of appreciation by bashing others.

3. Help the boss address problems as solutions-in-the-making and spend as little time as possible finding fault. Blaming others diminishes their motivation to work well.

"It will take a consistent, long-term commitment to win over employees, but the dividends will be enormous: low employee turnover, employee loyalty, freedom for employees to share new ideas, and ultimately, better productivity and profits," said Nelson.

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