Ever Had a Good Boss?

very few...

the best bosses are those that don't know you are on the payroll, and don't work close to you...

chris

A similar blog ...http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/16452

In my 36 year career, I have had 3 great bosses, 2 were for 11 years, 1 was 2 years.

All others in btwn were lost. My current boss is learning. Only been 2 years, well 1.5 with this guy that took over. So the jury is still out.

Nearly all my bosses have been good or great.

A really good boss would find a way to stop me spending so much time here on CR4. Now: how would that make me feel?

My best boss was when I was a CAD applications engineer, tasked with training and solving customer problems. When I was hired he made sure I got the requisite company training and then threw me headfirst into the customer snake pit.

When he found that I could hold my head above water, he then just made sure I had ongoing training, shielded me from the corporate BS and let me have my head within my assigned region. During those years I accumulated a file cabinet full of customer testimonials that I attribute to him. He constantly threw new challenges at me to keep me motivated. Responded when I needed something, ignored me the rest of the time. Normally only saw him face to face once or twice a month, unless we happened to be at the same conference or customer site. Best years of my career, and I would've walked off a cliff for that man.

Present boss - micro manager, takes credit, assigns blame, doesn't have time for peons (anybody under his level). Impossible to find when you need information, which is never provided upfront. Ugh, I gotta find a new job or retire.

Hooker

Like most folks posting on this discussion, I have had the whole range. On the whole, the best were the ones that were secure in their own abilities, trusted me -- but held me accountable, and were not afraid to admit their own mistakes.

One boss (who was OK, not too good, but not too bad), asked me one time why I was being disloyal after we had had a pretty heated discussion about something our group was supposed to do and how to do it. I explained to him that was actually loyalty. I didn't want him or the team to look bad and fail. In the end, we do it the way the boss says, because he or she has the ultimate responsibility. It is my responsibility to give the best support/input/performance possible. It is just easier when you think that it is being heard.

So, a good boss is one that looks out for the group and supports two-way communication. Respect, trust, training, etc. are all part of that.

I too have had bosses on both ends of the spectrum. The good ones taught me that knowing your limits and being open about what you do and do not know makes for great leadership skills.

My bad bosses taught me that even an idiot can still somehow manage to run a successful business and above all what Forest Gumps saying of "Stupid is as stupid does" means. Believe me I saw a lot of stupid doing what it did best even when the best of recommendations went against it.

Best Boss I ver had tried to make my job easier every day. He would stop by and see what was going on even go and take care of daily task for me so I could get some special project done. He was always there when I called for anything and when he had to fire someone they often quit so he would not have to fire them. He was that good that people did not want to hurt him by not doing their best.