5 Ways To Be A Better Boss

Every boss wants to be respected and get the most out of their team. But, how's the best way to go about that? Here are 5 ways to become a better boss:

1. Cut the dead weight.

One of the most frustrating things for hard-working employees is when their boss refuses to do anything about lazy or incompetent employees. It brings the entire team dynamic down and will eventually lead to your good employees quitting. Research proves that people like structure and knowing what's expected of them. Part of being a boss is managing effectively and that means discipling (and terminating) employees who aren't doing their job.

2. Stop micromanaging. 

You hired your team based on their skills and abilities. So stop checking in with them every 5 minutes and detailing every single aspect of what needs to get done. Give them responsibilities and then step back. Trust them to figure things out and to come to you if they have questions. You'll be amazed at how much your team will grow and accomplish when you give them room.

3. Praise in public, punish in private.

This old adage carries a lot of weight in the business world. Employees that are doing well should be recognized and it should be done in front of others. Even if it's just a simple "thank you" or "great job on project xyz," it will motivate your employees to work hard and accomplish more. By the same token, when an employee's performance needs to be discussed, it should be done privately, behind closed doors. When you belittle or discipline an employee in front of others, their productivity and respect for you plummets.

4. Stop talking and take some time to listen.

Studies have shown that the higher up on the proverbial food chain a manager is, the more they talk and the less they listen. Your employees notice this and they'll resent not being listened to. Again, you hired your employees for a reason. Make sure that you are listening to their ideas and opinions. They are the eyes, ears, and hands of the company. Their ideas are often cost-effective and will result in higher customer satisfaction and/or savings. Even if you ultimately decide not to act on them, they will appreciate that you took the time to listen and you didn't immediately tune them out.

5. Have realistic expectations for your employees.

One of the most important roles that a boss has is to know what his/her team is capable of. This means identifying skill sets and understanding limitations. Even the best teams can't do it all. You need to recognize when you are expecting too much from your team and make sure that they aren't being overworked. When a team is stretched beyond their limits, their quality and productivity will decrease while their stress increases. Support your team by knowing how to get them to achieve their maximum potential without pushing them beyond their limits.

Do I Have To Offer My Employees COBRA?

COBRA stands for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and it's a federal law that allows employees to choose if they want to continue their group health insurance after they've lost the benefits for certain reasons like job loss, reduction of hours, death, divorce, or other life events. Here's how to determine if your company has to comply with COBRA:

What Is FTE and How Do I Calculate It?

Full-time equivalent or FTE is a method of determining how many full-time employees you have based on total number of hours worked, not the raw number of employees. Full time is usually defined as 40 hours a week, so calculating FTE is based off a 40 hour week. In other words:

             8 hours/day                                                *One employee working 40 hours a week = 1 FTE

             5 days/week                            so....     

          x 52 weeks/year                                            *Two employees each working 4 hours/day for 5 days/week = 1 FTE

          2080 hours/year = 1 FTE

Knowing your FTE is very important for a number of reasons. It allows you to calculate your current and future staffing needs, decide if you're making enough revenue to justify your workforce, and determine if you need to comply with certain state and federal laws that are based on FTE (like Obamacare).

There are three main ways to calculate FTE:

1. By the day:
Total # of Labor Hours for 1 Day ÷ 8 = Total # of FTE

If you have 2 people working 8 hours a day, 3 people working 4 hours a day, and 1 person working 2 hours a day, then....
          (16 + 12 + 2) ÷ 8 = 3.75 FTE

2. By the month:

Total # of Labor Hours for 1 Month ÷ 173.33 = Total # of FTE

If your labor hours for the month of April were 758, then...
          758 ÷ 173.33 = 4.37 FTE

3. By the year:

Total # of Labor Hours for 1 Year ÷ 2080 = Total # of FTE

If your labor hours for 2012 were 26,935, then...
          26,935 ÷ 2080 = 12.95 FTE

Measuring by the day allows you to compare staffing needs throughout the week, while measuring by the month lets you compare busy months to slow months. If you recently initiated a new technique to increase productivity, measuring by month will also give you an idea of how effective the technique has been. But, if your staffing needs change depending on client needs, then the most accurate way to determine FTE is by the year because it captures both your busy and slow seasons. It's also the formula you want to use when determining if you have to comply with state and federal laws that are based on FTE.

Leadership Thoughts :: Volume 1

The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it. 

Theodore Roosevelt

#1 Rule of Firing: The Person Should Know They're Fired

I was sitting in a coffee shop the other day when I overheard the guy at the table next to me trying to break up with his girlfriend. I say trying because he wasn't very good at it. In fact, he was awful. The problem was he was desperately trying to be the nice guy, telling her how much he liked her and how much he enjoyed their time together. He regretted that they were going in different directions and how much he wished they could spend more time together. She was smiling and nodding like crazy, telling him how special he was to her too. She thought he wanted to take their relationship to the next level and at one point even thought he was asking her to move in with him.

After about 45 minutes she finally realized what was going on. She stopped him mid-sentence and asked "Are you breaking up with me?" He replied, "Yes, but you're really special and so beautiful and this is really hard for me." Not surprisingly, that didn't go over well. Not only was she hurt from being dumped, she felt humiliated for not realizing it sooner. Hurt quickly turned to anger and she started screaming "Hard for you?!?" He looked shell-shocked as she stormed out; it was obvious he hadn't expected her to be so upset. And, if he had been upfront and honest, she probably wouldn't have been. Sure, she still would've been hurt and angry, but she wouldn't have spent almost an hour telling him how much she loved him and thinking he felt the same way. She could've skipped the embarrassment and moved on. The entire situation was heartbreaking to listen to, but as I did, I couldn't help but think about how many managers do the same thing when they're firing an employee.

©Twentieth Century Fox

The best way to fire someone is to be direct. Sit them down, close the door to your office and tell them you're letting them go. Tell them the reasons why and then go over what happens next (cleaning out their office, returning company property, etc.). Some people will cry, others will get angry, and some will take it well. Be kind, but firm. Don't rationalize or justify, explain what led to their termination and wish them luck in the future.

At the end of the day, an employee should know they are being fired. Don't drag it out and don't spend the time telling them how valued they are or how much you enjoyed working with them. Even if it's true, it won't sound sincere because they're still being fired. Above all, don't tell them how hard this is for you. It just adds insult to injury because after all, you still have a job and they don't. 

Firing someone (like breaking up) is hard to do. But, if you do it quickly and directly, it will always turn out better than if you beat around the bush. Dragging it out will just cause you and your employee a lot of embarrassment and confusion.