Work Happy: What Great Bosses Know

It's pretty easy to spot a bad boss, but what are the distinguishing characteristics of the great ones?  That's the question I was asked to answer in a column for Forbes.com. The request came after an editor saw the recent "100 Ideas for Great Bosses" series we published on Poynter.org.   How might I take all those ideas and find the best of the best within?  The result became "Do You Have the 12 Signs of a Great Boss?" I hope you enjoy it! It was fun to share the ideas with the Forbes readership and offer links to our Poynter columns, our iTunesU podcasts, and of course, tell more people about the upcoming publication of "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW."

I  had a terrific time leading a day-long "Great Bosses Boot Camp" in advance of the Excellence in Journalism 2011 convention in New Orleans.  The room was so packed, we had to add tables to accommodate people.  I'm always impressed at the commitment of managers to learn more about how to help people grow. This was a diverse group, representing TV, radio, online, the military, non-profit organizations, college professors, and even people from Angie's List and AARP.  How's that for a interesting cross-section of managers? Whenever I teach, I start with the assumption that there's an abundance of wisdom already in the room, and it's my job to integrate it into my presentations.  I can't imagine conducting a session for managers that isn't interactive and gives them plenty of opportunities to teach each other. In this workshop, we covered Ten Things Great Bosses Know, did a master class on feedback and how managers can improve and increase it. We spent time on handling tough conversations and managing the boss. At the end, we did a lightning round in which everyone chimed in with an idea and action they're taking home.  My sincere applause to the managers who could have spent a lovely day in New Orleans sightseeing on the day before a convention kickoff, but went to Great Bosses Boot Camp instead.  

I'm headed to New Orleans this weekend.  On the agenda: a full day "Great Bosses Boot Camp" for managers from a diverse group of organizations.  The folks registered for the workshop come from newspapers, TV, radio, online, government organizations, the military, and more!  What they have in common is that their work involves communication and that they want to become better bosses. We'll pack a lot into the day.  Here's what's on the agenda:

• Ten Things Great Bosses Know
• The Secret to Performance Management: Feedback
• Tough Conversations, Good Results
• Managing Up - for You and Your Team

While in New Orleans, I'll be doing some custom training for a media group's leaders and also teaching a "Great Bosses" session during the convention. This is the first year that the Radio-TV Digital News Association and the Society for Professional Journalists have teamed up for a convention.  I think it's a wise idea for them to join forces, and I'm delighted to help with this teaching.  As I wrote about my recent trip to Denver and the APME convention, managers in media organizations are dealing with extraordinary change and challenge these days.  Training has often been the first victim of budget cuts, even as managers need to have better skills than ever before. It's one of the reasons I'm so excited about next year's release of "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW."  It will be a workshop-in-a-book, with practical guidance for individual managers or teams who want to be more successful leaders.  And while I often teach media leaders, the leadership lessons apply to managers in every field. Time to go pack for New Orleans!

This week I'll be spending time in Denver at the Associated Press Managing Editors and Photo Managers conferences.  I'm teaching a "Master Class on Feedback" to both groups, as well as doing one-on-one coaching with editors.  I am always impressed with the innovative and resilient spirit of these managers.  They are leading people through historic, some times chaotic changes in the industry.  They are involved with new products, new technologies, and new relationships with consumers through social media and interactivity. They are doing it all with reduced staffing levels and tight budgets.  How's that for challenge in times of change? They understand that today's media environment needs more than just managers, it need demands leaders.  My feedback session is designed to help them discover opportunities in their busy days to upgrade the quality of the feedback they provide to staff. We know that feedback is absolutely critical to employee motivation and development. We also know it is routinely in short supply in most workplaces. My APME and APPM sessions will provide a small sample of the information in "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW."

We've now posted 100 Great Bosses podcasts to iTunesU! Since early last year, we've had over 5 million downloads. That number amazes me!  To celebrate podcast number 100 (and the pending book "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW"), I've written a series of columns for Poynter.org, called "100 Great Boss Ideas."  We posted 25 ideas each day for four days.  I hope you enjoy the tips and thoughts.  Most of all, these columns prompt some good discussions in your workplace. Here's a link to the first 25 ideas. Here's a link to ideas #26-50. Here's the link to ideas #51-75. Finally, here are ideas #76-100. But don't think if you've read the 100 ideas, you've read the book. No way! I'm happy to tell you the book will contain much more -- including self-diagnostics and quizzes to help you both assess your current skills and strengths as a leader, as well as information on how to get the best from your staff.  Think of it as a workshop in a book -- one that's fun, interactive -- and above all, practical and truly helpful.

You're looking at the complete set of chapters for "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW" -- stacked neatly beside my office window.  Now the lessons, tips, quizzes, self-diagnostics and stories will move from these folders into book form.  But I just had to take a photo of them when I finished the last chapter.  Now, on to the spring 2012 publication!

The Hachette Book Group has scheduled "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW" for publication in June of 2012. My goal is to have this book be the next best thing to having a management coach right beside you!  It will be practical, personal and even fun.  No lectures -- lots of real-world advice and tips.  I really hope teams of bosses in organizations will read this book together.  Imagine the power that could be unleashed as managers band together to become a team of great bosses!

Had a wonderful time delivering the keynote address at this year's Women and Leadership Symposium at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, on June 30th.  This was the third year of the program, and it drew women from all parts of the University and community.  I shared "Ten Things Great Bosses Know" -- with an emphasis on skills and values. But here was the part that meant the most to me:  Attending that university as an undergrad was my dream.  I was the first in my family to attend college, and it was a self-funded venture.  I worked and saved to get my journalism degree there.  I love that campus and all it stands for in my life. To be invited back as a keynote speaker was especially meaningful -- and wonderful!    

So many misunderstandings in the workplace can be traced back to differences in communication styles.  That's why I work with managers to make certain they understand the strengths and limitations of their own -- and others' styles.  It's a big part of our leadership seminars at Poynter, and the consulting I do in organizations. It's common for introverts and extroverts to irritate each other -- and worse.  In my latest column for Poynter.org, I take a look at what happens when introverts and extroverts collide, and what they really need to understand about each other. I've also just added a podcast about the introvert/extrovert collision to our free collection on iTunesU.  And you can bet I'll feature this issue in the "Great Bosses" book, which I'm busy writing right now!  

We'd like to think Great Bosses are more than fair.  We want them to be as ethical and unbiased as we are. But, according to research reported by the Harvard Business School, WE aren't as ethical or unbiased as we think.  It turns out, we're susceptible, all of us, to what the researchers call "bounded ethicality."  Due to a number of specific influences, we have blind spots about our own decision-making. But there's hope. If we build an understanding of those influences into the ethics teaching and training that's done in the workplace as well as in schools, the awareness can mitigate the blind spots.  I'm really interested in this topic, because I believe ethics and leadership are inseparable.  In fact, I'm planning to make Ethics and Values the capstone chapter of "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW."