Dec 12, 2013 | Blog

Dear Santa, Please Bring Me a Better Boss

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Dear Santa,

 

It has been a long but busy year here at Unsavory Salt Mines. We’ve been occupied with the tasks of growing the company’s international footprint, and boosting margins. Our Chief Executive Officer has been a little distracted by some board issues, and his own civic and political interests. We changed Chief Operating Officers mid-year, and together with that change, we seem to have completely abandoned our emphasis on high-touch customer service in favor of increasing operating efficiency. I guess that’s akin to what it would be like if you suddenly adopted an operating model whereby getting the right presents under everyone’s tree took a distant back seat to getting the job done with nothing but part-time elves who are Skyped in from a distant land, and two less reindeer.

 

As for my situation, Santa, I’ve been good this year, but I have pretty much lost faith in Unsavory Salt Mines. It’s clear that we worker bees aren’t of much interest to them any longer. They don’t even fake it like they used to. In fact, it has been years since I heard that trite expression, “People are our most important…” Anyhow, I digress.

 

What I’m asking you for is some help with the one person who makes my work life better or worse on a daily basis; my boss. In fairness, he/she has a chronically full inbox, no admin support, and hasn’t had a lick of leadership training since the Great Recession. If you can help him/her improve in a couple areas, it would be the best present I ever received. Here’s what I’m hoping for:

 

I’d like to have a boss who:

 

  • Is authentic – comfortable in their own skin. Someone who is capable of saying, “I don’t know”, or “I’m sorry”, and actually means it. Someone who is actually willing to take a stand.
  • Has high standards. You heard me right. Somebody who doesn’t suffer fools or slackers for long. Someone who realizes that we don’t like working with turkeys, and that everyone isn’t cut out to be on our team.
  • Is capable of explaining things in clear and compelling fashion. We’ve got more than enough speech-makers. What we need instead is someone who is good with crayons… blunt, colorful instruments with which they can clearly describe the path ahead and how it impacts each of us personally and professionally.
  • Is committed to taking daily steps to remove the impediments that keep us from doing our best work – the broken policies, the worn out equipment, antiquated methods, idiotic missives from on high, all of it.
  • Lastly, I want someone who demonstrates in lots of ways, some big, but mostly small, that they care about me. By listening (really listening), through their willingness to consider some of my ideas by their regular use of the expressions “Thank You” and “Good Job”, and by showing up when I’m celebrating something or having a hard time.

 

Santa, I won’t tell you how to do your job, but this is a ‘one size fits one’ situation, and it will likely command all the resources that you and your merry band of elves have at your disposal. A management book here, a seminar there, some executive coaching, and maybe even encouraging some folks to recommit or reconsider whether or not they have what it takes to be a leader. But I do know this. It’s important to all of us.

 

Bill Catlette is a principal of Contented Cow Partners, a leadership development and workforce advisory firm. Through high impact keynotes, seminars, surveys, and 1 on 1 coaching, they advise managers worldwide on leadership, employee engagement, and strategy.