How to find the "Right Boss," so you don't report to a Jerk!
Posted on September 04, 2019 by Eartha Genece, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
Reporting to a great boss is like choosing the right spouse. Let me help you make the right choice.
If you want to find the “Right Boss,” so you don’t end up reporting to a jerk, you first have to observe if they’re approachable? During the interview stage this may not be as difficult to find out as you think. It’s as simple as assessing how your potential boss interacted with you during the interview. Did they shake your hand and make you feel that the interview was an exchange of information, versus an interrogation? Did they listen and ask questions about your background, or did they do most of the talking throughout the interview?
Does your potential boss give credit where credit is due? Ask your potential boss, the last time the team was recognized for a job well done. Do they talk about what they did, or talk about the strong team they have, and how if it wasn’t for the team, they wouldn’t have reached their goal?
Ask what the goals and objectives are for the team. Are they clear, and does the team have the tools necessary to meet them? Also, ask if the team has met, or is on their way to meeting their goals and objectives for the quarter, or year.
Does your potential boss provide constructive feedback in a timely manner? Ask how often they meet with the individuals on their team and ask for examples on how they provide constructive feedback. There’s nothing worse than finding out your boss was unhappy with your performance at review time.
Hands off mentor management style- Does your boss give you a task and let you run with it, but will also let you come to them for coaching? This style may not work for everyone, but I’ve found the best way to learn and grow in your career is to seek out this type of manager. Sure, you may have to earn your boss’s trust to get to this point, but for growth it’s essential.
Another simple way of deciphering on whether you’ve found the “right boss,” is looking for verbal and non-verbal cues during the interview. I had a nice boss that no matter what you were speaking about they would check their email, take phone calls and look away to watch their TV during our one-on-one meetings. Overall, it left most of us on the team feeling lousy. During the interview, observe if your potential boss is taking notes? Engaging with eye contact? or asking for clarification.
I hope this article helps you find the “Right Boss,” so you don’t report to a jerk. Print this article and take it with you on your next interview or copy some of the questions to ask at the end of the interview. If you have any additional tips on what to look for when you’re trying to find the “right” boss, comment below.
