Everyone who is a boss probably thinks they are a good boss, but ask an employee and you may discover the truth.

This article is designed to help you be a better boss, or ideally, a better manager.

Do you think of yourself as “the boss”? This is a very condescending word, it means you have power to boss people around, and do so. A manager, on the other hand “manages” people. People prefer to be managed, rather than bossed.

Do you know your staff by name? Some managers are so distant from their staff they do not know them by name, or perhaps by first name only. A good manager not only knows their employees by name, but by last name too, and may even know a few things about the person.

How often do you buy coffee, or snacks, for your staff? This is something that a manager is not expected to do for their staff but it goes a long way, especially since your wage is considerably higher than theirs. At the very minimum a manager should supply food at staff meetings, otherwise a monthly “treat” is a nice touch.

Are you fair to your staff? In terms of wages, you know what they make, you know what you make, you know what work they do, you know what work you do. Is the work you do worth so much more than the work they do?

Do you give recognition for your employees real efforts? While brown nosing should not be encouraged, and employee who goes out of their way to do something extra, without bragging about it, should be given at least a “thank you”.

When you expect something different out of your employees, do you ask them, or do you tell them? This would apply to situations when over time is required. A good boss asks a person if they can stay late, a bad one tells them to stay late. A good manager talks to their staff prior to making a schedule and asks if people need any days off, a bad manager acts like they own the staff and that the staff has nothing else to do besides work, making a new schedule without consideration.

Do you ask employees to do tasks you find demeaning? A good example would be where a manager notices that somebody allowed their dog to defecate on the lawn in front of the business, and rather than picking up the mess themselves, they get an employee to do it. A good manager is willing to do even the most dirty task for the goal of improving the business.

Are you willing to fill in for others? A good manager is flexible. If no employees can work overtime, they will do it themselves. If an employee is ill and wants to go home the manager will leap to fill in for that person rather than forcing that person to continue working when sick.

Do you share credit? So many managers think it is all about them. They cannot publicly extend any credit to their employees. A good example of this is a business owner who constantly walks around reminding their customers that it is their store, especially when people offer compliments. A good manager is not a manager for the sake of their ego.

Do you make staff deal with problem customers? While staff should be able to act as a buffer and should be able to deal with minor customer complaints, a good manager should not go into hiding when things turn ugly. A good manager would take the customer aside and remind the customer that it is not the employees fault, and would take the blame themselves.

How do you criticize employees? Bad bosses are notorious for belittling their staff in front of customers or other employees. A good manager knows when to let things go, and when to deal with things, and when it is time to deal with things they do it privately.

Do you use your staff correctly? Some people have strengths in certain areas and weaknesses in others. Most people enjoy doing what they are good and but do not enjoy doing the tasks they know they are not good at. For example, a person who likes being with the public is probably friendlier and will be better at customer service, than a person who prefers working with “things” who may be better suited to another position. Knowing your employees strengths and weaknesses, and what they like to do, can make them happier and make your business run smoother.

On the whole being a good boss, or a good manager, is simple, treat staff as you would want to be treated yourself. Your staff are not there for you to belittle or to make you feel more powerful. They are not there to make your life better, they are there to make their own lives better. If they are happy they will stick around longer and you will not have to train new employees as often. Additionally happy employees tend to work better.