Anyone can start a company. Not everyone can build a successful company. And there are even fewer great bosses. But of course, being a great engineering boss is an essential component of building a successful venture. It can be the difference between a prosperous future and one that’s wrought with problems.
After all, the advantages of good leadership are extensive.
Companies with good bosses enjoy higher employer retention rates, greater productivity, and improved customer satisfaction. A lot of good things can happen if you have all those things at a business.
But what does a good engineering boss look like? We’ll take a look at some essential ingredients in this blog.
They Can Communicate
Communication is at the heart of all relationships, including the one between employer and employee.
If you can’t communicate, or you’re not willing to, then it’ll be inevitable that you’ll run into problems. It might not happen instantly, but it’ll happen at some point. Also, remember that communication doesn’t just mean the ability to talk and express yourself. That’s only half of it.
The other half is the ability to listen. Your staff will have concerns and queries from time to time. If you have an open-door policy that allows them to share those thoughts and concerns, then you’ll be on the right track.
They Share The Vision
Good bosses don’t just share the tasks and objectives for the day. That’ll be a part of leadership, but it won’t be everything. They also share the long-term vision of the company, including the goals, what the company stands for, and so forth.
This might sound like a minor detail, but it has a big impact on employee engagement. People always work better when they can connect their work to a greater sense of purpose.
They Provide The Tools
It’s fine to have expectations for your employees. However, they should be reasonable expectations. And also, you should give your staff everything they need in order to reach those expectations.
If your staff don’t have the tools and resources they need to do their best work, then it’ll be understandable if they begin to feel a little aggrieved. There are some things that count for more than others. You can be a friendly engineering boss, sure, but first and foremost, you need to make sure that you’re providing the basics for your employees to work well. If you’re not sure what your team needs, then simply ask them!
A Great Working Space
It’s also important to think about the workspace in which you’re asking your staff to work. Bad bosses are happy to cram their employees into any old space and just let them get on with it.
Good bosses think about the overall employee experience. And where they’re working is a big part of the overall experience. So take a look at your workspace. Is it spacious, light, and all-around pleasant to be in? If you think that it’s a little uninspiring and depressing, then your employees do too. This is something that you can easily fix, just with a little bit of care and attention. If you’re not sure what improvements you can make to your workplace, then ask your employees — they’ll probably have ideas of their own.
They Run A Well-Oiled Machine
Organization is at the heart of the employee experience. It’s something that, when it’s done correctly, they shouldn’t even notice.
Indeed, if there are questions about your organization, then something is wrong. It’s one of those things that does its hard work in the background. There are plenty of things that’ll help you to make your business run like a well-oiled machine, including business time clocks, digital communication software, and automated payments and other processes. These things will give your business a solid platform upon which your staff will be able to deliver their best work.
Work/Life Balance
There are plenty of bosses out there who want their employees to dedicate all of their lives to the success of the business. But that’s not realistic. Your company may be the most important thing in your life, but it won’t be the most important thing in your employees’ lives. It’s good to recognize that.
By emphasizing a healthy work/life balance for your staff, you’ll be showing that work isn’t everything, that you care about your staff’s happiness, and more. This could end up having a positive impact on your business, too. After all, a happy workforce is a productive workforce!
Support and Feedback
A good engineering boss is like a good friend. They offer support. Are you creating an environment where your team feels like they have all the support they need to do their best work?
Good bosses also don’t shy away from delivering feedback, both good and bad. It’s all about how you deliver the feedback that counts. Not giving feedback can be just as damaging as delivering non-constructive feedback.
Isn’t Interested In Being Right
Finally, there’s the matter of ego. There are people who set up a business because they have an ego. But those people generally don’t make for the best leaders. In fact, they’re often the worst bosses. If you’re going to be a great engineering boss, then it’s worthwhile keeping your ego in check.
The best bosses aren’t interested in being right; they’re happy to go with whatever is the most reasonable course of action. It’s simply obvious that you won’t know everything. There will be times, probably many times, when your employees are correct. There’s no reason to take it as an affront to your leadership. After all, being a boss isn’t about having control!
Conclusion
There’s a lot of value in working to improve your leadership skills and become the best engineering boss that you can be. If you can do that, then you’ll find that you essentially liberate your workforce. You can think of your employees like a seed. A controlling or otherwise bad engineering boss prevents those seeds from ever blossoming. A good boss gives the seed everything it needs to reach its full potential.
