ARE YOU HAPPY IN YOUR JOB?
Adesh was my class fellow and topper in Engineering College. He was very hardworking and knowledgeable. He got a job in a multinational company with an enviable package. We happened to meet at Bengaluru, the place of his posting, after 10 years of our graduation. What I learned about him was not so encouraging. He was not able to manage effectively at the job. I found that the initial period of his job was fine but gradually he developed differences with his boss and in spite of his hard work he could not get proper raise. And now his junior with whom he never had good relations has become his boss. Adesh was seriously looking for other job options as the challenges in the current Company were intolerable. It was not clear to me as who was at fault: Adesh, or his boss?
Friends! Adesh is not alone in such a horrific journey. Every now and then, I meet people who keep suffering in Organizations. When I peep deep into their professional life, I find that it is either due to a not ok boss or a not ok subordinate.
In Industrial setups, it is not an individual but a team operates together. A team consists of a leader supported by team members. We can consider them in a boss-subordinate relationship. The performance of the team would be best when both of them work in harmony. It is, therefore, necessary that they have proper mutual understanding and act wisely towards a common goal.
At the job, you work both, as a boss and also as a subordinate. The key to happiness is in performing your roles effectively, fulfilling the requirements of each of the roles.
BE A GOOD SUBORDINATE
Your role as a subordinate is of great importance. If you can nicely tune in with your boss, together you can do wonders. Remember, knowledge alone is not so effective. But, a combination of other characteristics is required to succeed in the work environment.
Let us study the characteristics possessed by good subordinates who move ahead fast in their career:
- They are willing to change. They accept their mistakes without any grudge and are ready to upgrade their skills.
- They are not egoists. They accept suggestions given by their boss with no intention to prove themselves right. They respect all those with whom they have to perform. https://thelifeuddeshya.com/ego-at-work-place/
- They possess adjustment mentality. They are flexible in their approach.
- They have great people skills. Even when something looks wrong, they will not say it bluntly and hurt their boss.
- They are not willing to snatch credit. They recognize the role of other team players and their boss also.
- They have excellent communication skills. They keep their boss always updated. They know how their boss would like to get information and adapt accordingly. Good communication creates trust and proper understanding.
- They are always ready to share extra responsibility. They do not limit themselves to the role defined in black and white.
- They never talk negative about their boss with others in the Company. If anything goes wrong, they keep it to themselves.
Friends! If any person lacks any one or more of the above traits, he can’t prove himself to be a great subordinate. Examine yourself sincerely on the above points and make improvements where ever necessary to become a happy subordinate.
BE A GOOD BOSS
There are certain qualities that make a person a good boss or superior. Let us study the characteristics possessed by good bosses who build an excellent team with their subordinates and move ahead fast professionally:
- They are true mentors. They understand their subordinates well and guide them genuinely to overcome their weak points.
- They have great leadership qualities. They lead by setting examples and not just by placing orders. They ensure that their ladder is lying against the correct wall.
- They give appropriate appreciation and recognition to team members rather than snatching credit. Under adverse conditions, they also know how to protect their people even by taking blame themselves. This helps in building the morale of the team.
- They are also people-oriented rather than just work-oriented. They show real genuine empathy & compassion towards team members and develop good friendships in the process. As a result, everyone responds well when it comes to put extra efforts for reaching targets.
- They are not micro-managers. They don’t treat team members like school children. They don’t bother as when a person comes and goes back, when and where he/she works, what process he adopts to achieve targets, how many days he is on leave etc. etc. As long as he is getting the results in time, it is OK. They just keep the communication live to ensure that things are moving ethically and in the right direction.
- When a situation goes awry they don’t research who was at fault. Rather, they analyze what went wrong and how to avoid it in the future. Under such situations, their approach is process-oriented and not person-oriented.
- They accept new responsibilities and challenges. For this purpose, they are ready to upgrade their skill and talents.
- They are trustworthy and possess high moral values. They are impartial and do not play favorites.
- They do not build fear in team members to get a task completed. Rather, they give freedom and create an environment in which people willingly put efforts to achieve goals.
- Their emotional intelligence (EQ) is high and they know how to treat others. They don’t get disturbed by issues created by team members and have the potential to overcome them without hurting others.
As a boss, are you sure you possess all the above characteristics? If not, then work upon developing those qualities to prove yourself as a good boss. This will help you to build a goal-oriented, progressive and a happy team.
My suggestion to my friend, Adesh is to evaluate himself on above points for both of his roles as a Boss and as a Subordinate. And, to make improvements where ever he finds himself lacking. With that, he will be able to give better performance and win the heart of his boss as well as his subordinates.
THE TAKEAWAY
The time is changing. The systems are changing. Information or Digital Age is now being taken over by Innovation age.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/you-think-were-still-age-information-again-mike-doria/
When things are changing so rapidly, it becomes imperative that employees at all levels change their way of working with others concerned. The Millenials (born between 1982 to 1996) and Gen Z (born after 1996) are already telling that they are capable of performing the task of their bosses in a better way.
Also, people can be seen changing Companies very fast. But, according to Lewis “People don’t leave an organization – they leave their boss”.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50486921
This means that there is a need to inculcate characteristics which were not so essential in the previous time. The points described in this post for both, the subordinates as well as the bosses, are quite relevant in the present time. If you already possess these qualities, it is great.
But if you lack somewhere, I would suggest you to work upon them so that you can prove yourself as a role model. With that, you will see yourself growing fast to higher levels.
See you at the TOP.
P.S.: Well! How did you like this post? Pl put your thoughts in the comment box. Leave your mail id in the comment box for free consultation.
9 Responses
Excellent… on a lighter side… some one told me that if you don’t like your boss/ job etc than just take big loan …. EMI will make you liking your job/ boss…. irrespective how bad he /she is 😏
This is the real challenge. In fact, people take big loans and then they are forced to
like their boss and the job. This makes them to compromise and consequently they abandon their dreams and goals. Some people spend their whole life doing what they never wanted to do. In my next blog you will read about them.
Great ideas for those who are willing to grow fast in their profession.
Thanks.
Amazing blog 👍and very interesting stuff you got here!
I definitely learned a lot from reading through some of your earlier posts as well and decided to drop a comment on this one!
Thanks and all the best Dr Anil.
Thank you very much sir
Brilliant
There are many ways to be a good team . We should share this link as much we can because I think this is one of the most inspiring article because it tells us about how to cooperate with others and how to give respect as a boss, leader, worker, subordinator, etc.
Loved it..👍👍👍👍👍🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Great thoughts Tanmay.
All the best.