‘Like a Boss’. You know the expression, and, if you’re like me then it probably irritates the hell out of you like… well, like a boss! You see it everywhere, online, in print, across a multitude of social media and advertising platforms, and you hear people using it in the office, in bars, and on the bus to the office, in the most annoying ways.
According to one dictionary source, to do something ‘Like a Boss’ is to do it with stylish confidence or authority. This can be applied, tongue-in-cheek, even to fairly mundane tasks.
So here’s the thing. Friday, March 6th is Employee Appreciation Day, a day when bosses are supposed to appreciate their workers – like a boss.
But do they?
Are you a great boss or just some person who pays the salary?
Bad employers tend to have a few characteristics in common.
- They only appreciate the employees who agree with everything they say.
- They have favorite employees who receive special treatment and perks.
- They’re bad communicators and don’t have clear reasoning behind their requests or decisions.
- They leave their employees feeling unsure of results.
- They may even ignore their workers until a problem arises.
- They have the tact of a low-flying sledgehammer, and often chastise employees in the company of other employees.
- They scare their employees by their presence alone.
- They apportion credit to the wrong employees.
- And, they fail to provide rewards or show any recognition for their employees’ performance, results, or positivity.
Failure to recognize the importance and the contribution of employees is one of the major symptoms of being a bad employer.
What can you do to be a boss, like a boss?
People have written books on the subject of how to be a great boss, lots and lots of books. But the main message behind most of them is the same, ‘Be nice, motivate your employees, and treat them with the respect they deserve’.
Friday the 6th – Employee Appreciation Day – is a great opportunity to show your employees that you can be a boss – like a boss.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- Treat them out to dinner, or maybe organize a dinner in the office canteen. No talking about work allowed.
- Take the team out to an event – sports, theatre, music, etc.
- Give your employees an inspirational gift – avoid giving possessions and give experiences instead.
- Even if your budget is tight, at least have some cupcakes ordered for the entire office.
- Take a day out and offer up your time to work with some community organizations or charitable institutions.
- Give the gift of time. Let your employees have a half-day to use within a certain time frame to do what they wish, have a lie-in or leave early.
- Let your employees bring a family member, friend, or even a pet to the office.
- Have a theme day at the office and invite your staff – including top management – to dress accordingly.
- If you have a small team write every one of them a handwritten thank you card or letter. You’ll be surprised how much personal attention from the boss will pay dividends.
- Invite someone interesting or entertaining to visit the offices and give a talk – but not on the subject of work.
- Let your employees work from home for one day.
- Have a false Oscars ceremony where everyone wins a prize – it can be silly, or for real.
If you really want to boss like a boss let your employees know that without them there would be no success. Show them their value and they, in return, will show you their loyalty and their commitment to go above and beyond the call of duty.