Being the boss -The statistics of employees who dream of becoming their boss or the manager is on the increase daily. Research reveals that 62% of Americans desire to be their boss or become the manager.
The reason for this is quite obvious as the benefits of being the boss can be quite attractive. You can decide who stays and who goes, you get to do things you want to do the way you want them done. Not to talk about the salary boost you enjoy.
But, what is often not considered is the difficult part about being the boss or manager. Uneasy indeed is the head that wears the crown. These challenges have now intensified with the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Besides adhering to company policies, there are many guidelines regulating what companies should or should not do in these Covid times. Working tirelessly to ensure the safety of the workers and adherence to all these policies is the boss.
As a result, we have put together the 5 toughest parts about being a boss or manager at a time like this, and what to do to be good manager.
5 Most Difficult Part About Being a Boss and How to Handle It
- Hiring New Employees
One of the toughest parts of being the boss is the responsibility of hiring new employees. As companies continue to expand and the customer base increases, the need to hire new employees becomes inevitable.
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Before the pandemic, this task was pretty daunting as it requires sifting the right person for the job out of a sea of hundreds of other applicants. But with the pandemic, this chore has even become more complex.
With social distancing in place, most companies can no longer conduct physical recruitment. Many candidates who were job hunting before the pandemic, now assume that most companies are not hiring. It, therefore, poses an extra responsibility to get the news out about the pending recruitment.
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Even when candidates apply, the option of a one on one interview may not be possible. This leaves the boss with the option of a virtual interview, which may not be the best recruitment process.
But, having a detailed recruitment process will help you take care of some of the hassles that come with recruiting online.
- Sacking an Employee
This part of being a boss has always been the most difficult for many managers and bosses. It is so difficult that many companies prefer to hire external termination companies to do the job. After all, no one likes being the bearer of bad news.
The pandemic has even made this task even more upsetting. It is no longer a secret that millions of workers in America have last their jobs due to the pandemic. Others who are still working are uncertain when the tides will swallow their companies and send them packing.
With all these perspectives in view, being the boss who has to issue the layoff information becomes a nightmare. But then, not everybody has the means or opportunity to hire someone who can accomplish this task. And so you must learn how to do this in the most empathetic way possible while being firm in the process.
The best way to do this, according to Wally Adamchik, is to be empathetic but factual. In his words, “the trick is to be empathetic to those who will be affected by the bad news, but at the same time extremely factual and matter of fact with the news itself. Educate yourself on the situation and be prepared to answer any questions that may come up during the announcement.”
- Calling Out Underperforming Employees
The main goal of the tedious recruitment process is to hire the best candidate for the job. This will help boost the companies revenues and expand the expertise of the company’s workforce.
But, things don’t always go as planned as some employees may decide to soothe themselves at the expense of the company. Some may engage in physically stealing from the company or intellectual theft. Some may be good employees but just not be the right fit for the particular goal and objectives of the company. It is the responsibility of the boss or manager to manage this using all creativity, skill and resources possible to achieve a better end.
Managers even find themselves in extremely tough corner when the employees they must let go are well-respected colleagues or friends. Tight position or not, the role of a manager in any company is a calling. Fail to manage, or exist and seek to be managed.
4. Tough Decision Making
Being the boss comes with a price, one of which is making the tough decisions. Whether it is deciding on the right budget trade-off, recruiting the best candidate, or deciding the right product to release, these are very pivotal decisions. If chosen right, can positively affect the company, and if done wrong comes with a price.
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In this era of Covid 19, every decision counts even more. A single company policy you put in place could be the reason why your employees feel less threatened and encouraged to work at a time like this. While failing to implement the latest health guideline about the virus may end up putting your employees at risk.
5. Enforcing Companies Policies
Whether it’s your own company or you are managing others in someone else’s organization, every company has its unique policies. And it is the responsibility of the manager or boss to enforce this. This requires you to live by example and set standards other employees have to abide by. This is no easy task.
Sometimes, these policies may even be contrary to your personal beliefs and ideologies. Yet, it is your job to adhere to them and ensure that others do too.
Moreso, the pandemic has necessitated that companies to safety guidelines in place. As the manager or boss, it is your responsibility to keep tabs on the ever-evolving changes brought on by the pandemic. This will ensure your safety, that of the company and your workers.
The Way Forward
The responsibility of being the boss has never been more difficult than it is now. The challenges range from settling interpersonal conflicts in the workplace to managing the company. The pandemic has added to this by bringing its unique problems. However, every challenge has a solution. It begins with identifying the challenge, then finding the solution and applying it to the situation.
So, before you aim for that high chair, and the extra pay that comes with it, knowing and accepting full responsibility for not just the work that others do, but also for the professional lives and experiences of others are crucial.
If you are already a manager before the pandemic, this time and its reality is calling you now to go begin updating your knowledge on leadership. Your effectiveness, result and happiness may depend on it!