Owning your own business means being your own boss, but it cab also mean being someone else’s boss as well. Being disliked by your employees is never a good thing. It creates negative energy in your business and employees will not be as motivated to perform well. As the boss, you’re the one who sets the tone for how things are run in your place of business. While there are many overarching themes that connect to good management such as delegation, mutual respect, and listening to employees, here are some smaller steps you can take to ensure a happy working environment.


       1. Communicate the Importance of Each Employee


Sometimes the bottom line is the only thing a boss highlights to their employees. When this happens, workers can’t always see where they fit in and don’t feel important. It’s always great to know that you’re needed and bosses should express this to individual employees, highlighting their specific role in the bigger picture often.


2. Make Yourself Busy


Just because you own the place doesn’t mean you can delegate all major responsibilities to those working for you. Employees won’t respect you if they think you’re slacking off and not pulling the same weight they are. While being your own boss means more flexibility for you, you still need to show your workers you’re right there with them in terms of workload. A common complaint from employees they think they can do their bosses job better. By staying on task with them you’ll avoid this negative attitude.


3. Praise in Public, Criticize in Private


When an employee is successful it’s best to make it known publicly to other employees and customers, but in the reverse situation keep any negative feedback more guarded. Singling out and criticizing a staff member in front of others will only add to the problem most likely and reduce morale.


4. Rewards System


Even if it’s little things, you should develop a few perks that come included with working with you. Even bringing in coffee and bagels for people in the morning sometimes can work. Think of little ways you can reward your employees and also give them things to look forward to.


5. Keep it Friendly


While being authoritative is a given when you’re supervising someone, you also have to keep in mind to maintain a friendly atmosphere. You don’t want your employees dreading seeing you walk through the door. Keep it light and be able to interact with them on personal and business levels. Be sure to maintain a sense of authority though so that your employees will keep taking you seriously.


6. Be Understanding


At some point one of your employees will have a personal conflict with their professional life such as an illness or death in the family. In these situations it’s important to be sensitive. While running your business is your most important goal when an employee has something else going in it definitely isn’t their top priority. It’s best to have a hands-off mentality when it comes to these situations. Let them have time off of work to handle what they need to and be understanding. Your entire staff will remember this and you will definitely gain admiration and respect. Even for smaller things, like adjusting their work schedule to accommodate doctor’s appointments and such it’s important to be flexible with your workers. 


7. Accept Feedback from Employees


It’s in your job description as a boss to give constructive criticism to your subordinates, but to be a great boss you need to listen to others as well. Take the time to have your employees evaluate you and use their feedback to become a better manager. People will appreciate your willingness to listen, your openness, and feel important to the company all at the same time.



Following these tips will help ensure that you are a well-respected and well-received boss. In the end, being a great boss will not only create a strong working environment, but also help your business be successful.