I currently report to the best boss I’ve ever had and here’s why:

1) He’s funny. Really funny. He’s in a serious, hardcore job (he’s the COO) but never takes himself too seriously and has no need to pull power issues.

2) He gives me guidance and direction, while still treating me like an equal.

3) He solicits my feedback and opinion on serious issues, regardless of my position in the food chain.

4) He always recognizes contributions -and not in a cheesy-here’s-something-to-hang-on-your-wall-way, but in the middle of meetings “Cristi had a great idea for this Cancer Center and….”

5) He gives me responsibilities that are slightly over my head so that I can “play up” – offers me support to get through them, and lets me take full credit for completing them. That boosts my self-confidence and skill level, and drives me to take on more, and do better work.

6) When we have our one-on-one meetings, he treats me like I’m the only employee he has, and does everything he can to boost my skills.

7) He gives me a lot of exposure- i.e. he drags me into meetings so that I can see what goes on there, and if I express an interest in something he’s doing or a particular project, he drags me a long there too so I can see the inner workings.

8) I have a budget for “development” and he encourages me to pursue education constantly. It’s not huge, but he has me constantly look at my current skill level, determine where I’d like to be – and then I prioritize which classes I should take to fill in the gaps.

9) He always lets me know how my work ties into the big picture. He gives me whole story about where our organization is going, then the background strategy behind it. This way, even if I’m doing some small project, I feel like it’s important.

10) He’s created an environment where people can ask questions without ever feeling stupid. He asks them himself – so this totally eliminates the intimidation factor.

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The best way to get developers to build something great is to make them believe your goal is worthwhile. If you do, control from the top will not only be unnecessary; it will be impossible. That’s the best situation you can hope to create, and frankly I love that so many people don’t believe that, since it makes things so much easier for those of us who do.

Marc Hedlund’s Management Hacks

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