Have you ever asked yourself why people work for you?, asks business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald. Have you ever even stopped to think about why anyone would choose to work for you? It might not be something that’s ever crossed your mind. But stop and think about it for a minute. Why you?
Oswald, CEO of BLR, offered 3 reasons why employees want to work for bosses in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter.
People go to work for a company for many reasons, Oswald continues. Maybe the work is challenging and rewarding or the pay and benefits are too good to pass up. It might be that the company has a stellar reputation that attracts talent, or it could be that a friend works there, too.
But research says people stay because of their boss. So why do your people work for you?
Knowing the answer to this simple question can provide a lot of insight into who you are as a manager. I’ve worked for a number of bosses during my career, and if they asked me this question, I’d answer it a little differently for each.
HR budget cuts? Let us help. HR.BLR.com is your one-stop solution for all your HR compliance and training needs. Take a no-cost, no-obligation trial and get a complimentary copy of our special report Critical HR Recordkeeping—From Hiring to Termination. It’s yours—no matter what you decide.
I worked for a boss who was extremely passionate about the business and brought a creative energy that was inspiring. I worked for another who was incredibly grounded and brought a degree of discipline to his work that allowed the company to succeed. I worked for a third boss who was a calculated risk taker and had an intuitive sense about where to apply resources and when to cut his losses.
But there were a number of traits that all of the best bosses I worked for shared: a passion for their work, a commitment to success, and loyalty to others.
Passion for Their Work
The best bosses I had loved what they did. They enjoyed getting up each day and coming to work. They lived the axiom “find something you love to do, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Working for someone who loves her job can be contagious. You see the passion and energy she brings to the office each day, and it’s inspiring. She’s not there for the money. She’s not there for the glory. She comes to work each day because she loves what she does.
Committed to Success
The best bosses I’ve had were also committed to success. They were competitive people who had a drive to succeed. When you work for someone who cares — really cares — about winning, it makes you want to be a part of that success. You want to make a contribution to what the team is trying to achieve. You don’t want to ever be the reason something doesn’t work. Great bosses know how to get others to understand what the prize is and get them to work together to achieve it.
Loyalty to Others
Loyalty to others is the third and, in my estimation, the most important trait that all of my best bosses shared. They were loyal to the company, they were loyal to the vision, and they were loyal to the people with whom they worked. And their loyalty was rewarded with people who were loyal to them. The people who worked for them were willing to go the extra mile to help the organization succeed because they wanted to see their boss succeed.
Did you notice I didn’t once use the word charismatic to describe one of my best bosses? Nor did I talk about their ability to motivate or inspire the people who worked for them. At least one of the three I described would be considered charismatic. And all of them were able to motivate others — but not by their words as much as their actions.
You see, it was what they did, not what they said, that caused others to follow them. Their passion, commitment, and loyalty are what set them apart and caused others to want to work for them.
Knowing why people work for you will make you a better boss. So what is it that keeps your people coming back day after day? What is it about you that causes others to follow? Why do people work for you?
This three reseans aim at high level employees mainly.The low level employees work for company maybe because “the work is challenging and rewarding or the pay and benefits are too good to pass up, the company has a stellar reputation that attracts talent, or it could be that a friend works there”.
Maybe it is because of their customer base. Since typically customers purcharse from an individual and NOT a Company, maybe the Company should take a closer look at how they treat those on the front line! What a concept!!!!!!! Those that sell the service/products, that produce the revenue to keep those in the Office behind their desks…treat them with the respect that they have obviously earned from their Customers! Without them YOU do not have a job!!! Why antagonise the ones that fulfill your paycheck?????
I have a boss that says he loves his job and is a an optimist but I don’t find them inspiring or a very good leader. My previous manager was organized and detailed; I always had a sense that things would get done and how, not so currently. He has faith that his support team is strong and will get the job done but we do, but many things fall through the cracks.
Two of the three traits you mention are all about the manager himself, though–what about how they treat their employees? I’ve seen passionate and committed bosses who treated their employees poorly.
I’d love to know how many people stay DESPITE their boss.
I’ve worked for a similar boss described by Mr. Oswald and it was a wonderful experience. However, in addition to the traits discussed above, the human resources department worked hard to ensure their visibility and informative communication with employees at all times, especially after a spin-off from a parent company. I recall the day he delivered the “spin-off” message to employees at the operation location during a christmas party, whereas, he specifically stated the annual christmas bonus was given just because but now each and everyone must work together to succeed and and achieve the defined goals and objectives as we no longer have the “deep pockets”. This message, his visibility and HR’s efforts, the workforce was in high motivation mode. Prior to the spin-off, our particular unit was trading on the stock market between $3-5 and a couple of years after the spin-off, the company was trading at $52.00 per share, and shortly after we were acquired by a senior industry company for $1 billion dollars – lead by the passionate, committed and loyal boss. Many times, lower level employees understand the value, challenges and risk of their work but are never educated or informed of the challenges and the risk the CEO encounters driving the business and moving it forward. These days, certain negative news of certain CEO’s contribute to the negative view lower level employees have of the top level employees in addition to lack of education/communication.
To answer Barb’s question about people who stay in spite of a boss who treats them badly–at least in my case. I am staying because I haven’t found someplace else to go YET. I am actively seeking employment elsewhere and as soon as something opens up, I’m gone. I expect most people who stay despite having a lousy boss are in the same position. Hopefull the loosening economy will facilitate my departure.
Perhaps those who are critical of their boss would benefit from the oldie but good book FISH. Attitudes are contagious, and be it passion or pain, we each determine how our day is going to go and what reaction we have. Marlene N thank you for the reminder HR can make or break the company by serving the employees. PMA – Positive Mental Attitude – change the world around you one smile at a time.
Alot of employees where i work are caught up in the cult mentality. that the employer is going to treat them like family. when i was hired away with the lure of bonuses and a leadership position since i was rolling in on the ground floor of the new division, it only took a year for all of that to be changed, at managements discretion of course. i am very proud of my skills. i was hired away from the company i worked for by my current employer because after being sent out to repair their equipment several times and having great sucess, they offered me a job. i have been stuck there through this depression that the world is in, now i have an injury and they are attempting to divert labor and industries representatives from concern for my HEALTH and bringing up my off work activities thereby causing my wage benefits to be held up. what a wonderful family. my level of regret and feeling of being totally cornered has never been greater.
I believe it will always depend on the individual employee and their personal goals. An employer that offers low wages must compensate with other methods to retain employees. Bosses do not matter when an employee is earning a living versus paying the bills. This will depend on the skill set of the employee. I have two jobs, one pays well, the boss is passionate but poor organizer with little vision. The wage keeps me there. The other job is manual labor, low wage, yet the leadership commits to daily to the large national chain store mission. I guess I fall under one of the three. This type of article reminds me that a boss works with limited resources from employers and employees and must find a rational to continue the obvious failure of the employee.employer relationship. When share investment and reward replace that system then the actions of the boss will not matter.
There are many reasons we stay with particular bosses, not just the ones in this article, it would be niave to think otherwise. Reasons that are both positive and negative, all depanding on our own very unique set of circumstances, therefore I do not understand citing specific cases via this medium. Axe Grinders need not apply
Craig R — It sounds like you have an active worker’s comp or short term disability claim. Obviously, if you have been caught on video lifting weights while you’re out on Worker’s Comp for a back injury or somethin, you are probably screwed, benefits-wise (and you may get fired for lying about your injuries). On the other hand, some WC and STD insurers will fight legitimate claims when they think they can get away with it.
If you think this is your situation (wrongful denial of benefits) I suggest you contact an employment law attorney, preferably somebody who is experienced in dealing with Worker’s Comp, benefits (ERISA, etc.) and discrimination (disability) issues. A decent lawyer should see you for 45-60 minutes for a free (or low fee) consult to determine whether you have a case. Organize all of your paperwork, write down ALL the facts of what has been going on in chronological order from the date you were hired and make an appointment. And if your employer is stupid enough to fire you for seeing an attorney, then you for sure have a good case. Good luck.
I worked for the MOST CONTROLLING, DISORGANIZED, BULLY of a boss that I seriously think may be the WORST E-V-E-R!.. I stayed because I loved my staff…. was led to believe she would be retiring “in the near future”.. had good benefits and had been “in the system” trying to get my pension. The very year she retired I was let go because of budget cuts and I only had 1-1/2 yrs. to go to FULL retirement. Opted out for “early/reduced” because of bad economy. Any regrets? None. I KNOW KNOW I can work for anybody! 🙂