Loving the management-speak thread and got to thinking 'What is that makes a good boss?'



Would like to hear about people's experiences with good managers and the specific things they did.



Positive things I have experienced is where managers encourage and support ideas and new-thinking. And also giving praise in the right places.

When I owned a business I always went out of my way to show that I wouldn't ask anyone to do a job that I wasn't prepared to do myself.



So when we won that contract to service the hotel in Barbados it was me who had to go there five times in as many years.



Its not all roses you know.

My approach to management is fairly simple. Hire the right people, train them appropriately, continue to train them, and then let them get on with their job.

There is only one management decision that matters, that's when you hire the person in the first place. If you mess that up, then you have to have the nuts to admit you made a mistake and get rid of the person. So many managers hire the wrong person for the job, then spend the next couple of years failing to admit it. Their solution is to then micro manage someone into therapy. It always ultimately fails, and seldom is the manager (who has spent all his effort making sure he doesn't look bad to his managers - who are also failures because they fail to engage) brought to account.



Micro management doesn't work. If you have to do it you've got the wrong person working for you.

You're an inspiration.

you have my utmost respect for putting yourself through that mate time after time. and also not putting that burden on your workforce is commendable. hope you have got through that nightmare with no long term issues.

I'm available for seminars and motivational speaking...

IN BARBADOS.........

Good management to me is the exact polar opposite of my boss. Micro-management, bullying, shouting, aggression, harassment - all traits we put up with day to day. She's just relentless. She only ever congratulates us through gritted teeth and soon gets back to picking whatever we do apart and criticising every action. Horrible, horrible woman.



And it's not just us who feel that way. When the Indian saint [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15769467Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma of India)[/url came to town last year our boss went there with one of our Hindu staff to get a hug. After hours of queueing she got to the front, where Amma took one look and said, "not her, she's bad news" and turned her away.





If I didn't work from home and manage my own hours and movements I'd have left a long time ago. As it is, my quality of home life is great, the pay isn't bad and I can be around to help my wife with her various ailments.

He he. Movements.

Knew it even as I typed it...

When I left school I worked for four bosses at the same company in quick succession, two of them were "desk-thumpers" who believed that shouting and hissy-fits were all that was required, two simply asked you as if they were asking a favour and were approachable if you had a problem with something.



Guess which two got the respect and who I modelled my own management on ?



The shouting, bullying form of management has no place in any workplace regardless of what those who practice it say, all that actually happens is that the employees find other ways (and there are plenty) of stitching up the bully but will back to the hilt the one that they respect.

Seems to be mostly about what is not good management.



Micro-management, bullying and a lack of praise and encouragement when due/needed – absolutely agree all are counterproductive etc.



I'd add not having the guts to tell you things to your face and sending someone else to do it.