Better Bossing: Tips from the Front Line #1

Here are some of my bossing methods that work and have worked for many years:

1) Be nice, but firm -being a nice boss will help motivate people and keep things going as a great team. But, don't be too nice and let people take advantage of you. Let them know why it is important to arrive on time and adhere to the right processes. There is a delicate balance here, but it works wonders when the balance is right.

People who work for you must respect you, then like you. Years ago I worked for a fellow who was a great boss in that he was fair but firm. I could not see myself hanging out with him after hours, but I always did what he asked because he wasn't wishy-washy about anything and he'd recognize any hard work done by giving whatever rewards he was able to - no good work went unnoticed.

On the other hand, there was a new hire who showed up late on his first day and I watched as my boss said: "You're late, you're fired!". The poor guy just stood there in shock, then asked why. The boss said: "You live less than five minutes away and you still could not show up on time for your first day. You're fired." I stood there with my coding gun and worked away while watching the guy just stand there and slowly walk out of the place.

2) Laugh off a silly mistake - when somebody messes up for the first time and it's not a major catastrophe, chuckle with them and show them the right way to do it. Anything that has the potential to BE a major catastrophe should have a very comprehensive training system involved.

The person who made the mistake will feel better and not feel like they are stupid (even though they may call themselves that). If they keep making the same mistake over and over, there must be changes made in order to restore the desired level of productivity. You may have to train them for something else or suggest that they should look for employment somewhere else. Be sure to have a closed door meeting with them to explain everything in detail.

3) Talk about 'changes' face to face - explain to the person who is directly involved in a process why something must change. Explain it in a reasonable voice and let them know why it is so important for them to comply. Don't yell at them or tell them they are an idiot.

I learned this when I was a young supervisor and always got things done the way I wanted them - on behalf of the company, of course. I kept doing it for years and I still do it and it rarely fails. If it does fail, the person responsible must be replaced.

I took this technique with me when I was working with musicians on stages. If something wasn't right (ie: too loud, usually), I would walk right up to the front of the stage and mention that something wasn't quite working. With my goal in mind, I would offer suggestions and let them know it was for the benefit of the audience - so that they could enjoy a great sounding show.

I got positive results over 95% of the time when I was working with rock musicians full time. Now, bear in mind that I was working with some of the biggest egos around and even an 80% success rate would have been astounding. But, many sound people are not so nice because they become jaded over time, having to deal with the same issues over and over, night after night.

The best practice, no matter how jaded or egocentric you think you are, is to put yourself in the shoes of others and explain things the way that you would like to be told. It simply works! If you want positive results, treat people like people, not numbers.

- Buck Moore