Everybody has heard the horror stories about bosses that don't care, bosses that take advantage of their employees, bosses who don't do their jobs, etc...

How can you prevent yourself from being categorized as one of "these bosses?"

1) Know your job. Know it well. Know your employees' jobs. Preferably have done your employees' jobs before you landed your job as the "boss."

2) Care about your employees. Honestly try to have compassion and understanding for each individual employee and their unique abilities and differing circumstances.

3) Pay attention. Don't get caught up in the "paperwork" of being a "boss," so much so that you lose track of the "people," who you are the boss of. Without these "people," there would be no "paperwork," and you would have nobody to be the "boss" of. People matter more than paperwork.

4) Be fair. Do not play favorites. Make rules and stand by them and apply them to everyone.

5) Be accessible. Do not remove yourself from the daily activities of your employees to do your "boss" jobs, so much so, that you lose touch with the reality of what your employees go through on a daily basis. Be available to them. Be one of them some of the time. That's the only way you truly know what they're doing and the only way you can honestly be their "boss."

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