How to be a good boss

I started a new job just over two months ago, and boy is it a good fit for me.  I work a regular Monday to Friday schedule, and I am doing things I love doing (working on a computer, with numbers, working on my own).  But I'd be lying if I said one of the best things about my job wasn't my boss, Joe.  He's awesome.  He is exactly as a boss should be.  He's only six years older than me, so we can relate on a few things.  But it's his managerial style which I think a lot of bosses could learn from.  I'm going to say what I think makes a good boss, providing examples from Joe.

- Make yourself approachable to your employees and welcome their questions and feedback
I cannot stress this enough.  At my last job, it was definitely hard to approach my bosses and ask them questions.  But Joe welcomes questions.  Almost on a daily basis Joe says to ask him questions if we're stuck or need help.  I'm not the best at asking for help (I'd prefer to figure things out on my own if possible), but he's made it much easier to ask for help.  Bosses should never scold or get annoyed with their employees if they ask a question.  It's how we learn, get better, and do our job more satisfactorily.  

- Know when to put your foot down
So, you want to be nice and everything, but you have to know when to put your foot down.  You have to still earn and get respect from your employees.  One of my coworkers wasn't doing something right, sort of fibbed to Joe, and Joe put him in his place.  Joe was very clear about what he expects of him.  If you lay down the law in front of your employees just one time, that should be lasting enough for them to respect their boss for a long time.

- Treat your employees for doing a good job
Probably my favorite thing my boss does is he treats us when we do a good job.  He's treated us to lunch a few times, and he's given us things for our desks.  Bosses treating their employees for doing a good job encourages them to continue to do a good job.  He also often offers a word of encouragement when we do a good job as well.  Those little comments go a long way, especially when they're sincere.  

- Make sure your employees are comfortable with their working conditions
My boss is very aware of if we are uncomfortable with any aspect of our working conditions.  He has said to me on numerous occasions that if there's anything I need I should ask or tell him.  I know not every boss has the time for this, but if you provide an avenue, portal, or any way for your employees to reach out to you, that can be hugely beneficial to the workplace.  It could be an email, a bulletin notice, or anything little like that.  But my boss Joe lets us know in person.  It helps we have such a small office.  

- Lead by example
You can't expect your employees to do a good job if you don't do a good job as their boss.  There's also little things you do--how organized you keep your workspace, how you handle customers/clients, and how you treat other employees.  A lot of inexperienced/younger employees look to their boss on how to act and carry themselves.  My boss Joe does a great job of carrying himself and leading by example.  I'll say he doesn't always dress the most professionally (wears flip flops, for example), but we don't ever meet clients in person, so it doesn't matter.  I could probably wear flip flops if I wanted to, but I'd rather set my own example.  

- Enjoy your work so that your employees will too
If you've progressed through a field far enough to have employees underneath you, you probably like the field you're in.  And when a boss enjoys their work, it really becomes contagious.  I can tell Joe really likes his job and is passionate about it, and he makes me want to be passionate about my own job.  I know this ties in a lot to the one above, but I thought it deserved it's own mention.  

Well, that's all I have.  Mainly, my advice to any bosses out there is to treat your employees the way you would want to be treated.  Put yourself in your employees' shoes and act like how you'd want your boss to act.  It will go a long way.  And, happy employees often make for success in business.  It's win-win.  

Thoughts on My New Job

I was just thinking the other day that on this blog I have yet to talk about my current job.  I talked about Safeway quite a bit while I worked there, going over the various departments, talkedabout my favorite and least favorite customers, and a couple others as well.  But I have not yet talked about my current job.  So, I will do just that, starting out by going over the company, going over my day-to-day responsibilities, and finishing with my thoughts on working there so far.

I currently work technically with two companies.  My official employer (the one that appears on my paycheck) is Aviation Spares and Services International Company (ASSIC).  I’ve always liked how they had to add the “International Company” because otherwise the company is ASS. 😂😂  Anyway, ASSIC is pretty small, at least in our office, comprising of only two in-office employees, who I work next to.  Then, there is Global Inflight Products (GIP).  They comprise of about 15 employees.  Then there are three boss people, the Chairman/President: Zine Badissy, the CEO: Liza Benzaoui, and the Vice President: Farjam Majd.  We also have a downstairs office that has accounting and marketing/design (two people each).  ASSIC provides spare airplane parts (generally small ones) to different aviation companies, and they often ask for quotes on parts and people ask for quotes from them.  GIP manufactures and distributes airline products for international flights, everything from cups, plates, towels, blankets, utensils, and headphones.  ASSIC and GIP work together under the Air Transport Support Group (ATSG).

My official position is office assistant.  I am technically also a receptionist, but I feel that has a bit of feminine connotation.  Nothing wrong with a guy doing a job typically done by a female, however.  I answer the phone and transfer to the appropriate person if necessary, and I occasionally will answer some basic questions.  Aside from answering the phone, the main thing I do is special projects for Mr. Badissy, the chairman and president of both ASSIC and GIP.  He has me compile financial reports for his farm business, for his business expenses, and for his travel expenses.  Generally, those projects take 3-5 days to do, which is good because Mr. Badissy is out of the office on most Thursdays and Fridays.  I have also emailed different people for him and even mailed a package for him. 

I am also slowly transitioning to being the office administrator (not officially) by doing tasks that help the office run smoothly.  I often go down to the storeroom to get supplies such as jugs for the water cooler, paper towels, and toilet paper.  I am now the person people tell to order office supplies, although I do not order them myself.  Instead, I give a list of supplies to accounting and they order them.

As for my thoughts on my job, I would have to say I like my job pretty well.  It’s certainly not perfect, but what job is?  Sometimes my boss, Mr. Badissy, can be hard to understand in what he wants, but I do my best, and he’s been pretty understanding and patient with me as well.  I don’t make as much as I did in my final years at Safeway, but it’s a consistent paycheck with consistent hours.  I am no longer an hourly wage employee; I am a salary employee now.  And instead of getting paid every week, I get paid every two weeks.  That part does not bother me, but what does bother me a bit is that my paycheck every two weeks is an actual check; I must go to the bank and deposit it and there is no direct deposit option. 

I don’t know how long I plan on working with ASSIC/GIP.  They have this thing in my agreement of employment that I have to pay back any bonuses I earn if I quit within two years.  I have yet to see a bonus and I think those are more for sales managers.  Not only that, but if I want to quit, they want me to give them a month’s notice.  So, with that and my Monday-Friday 7:30-4 work schedule, it becomes very difficult for me to potentially get another job.  Honestly, after not working for almost five months, I am just happy I have a job and one that pays steadily.  There’s not really an opportunity for advancement, not that I’d really want to.  I’ve never been a good person for sales, having dipped my toes into the sales swimming pool and not liking what I felt. 

I have the added bonus of working near Amanda.  She is about a 15-20 minute walk away, and I work exactly one hour earlier than her, so I can wait for her to get off if I want.  I have the option of taking the bus to work if I desire.  My commute is fairly short, taking 15-20 minutes to drive in the morning (usually), and 20-30 minutes to drive home.  So location-wise, my job is pretty perfect, considering alternative jobs I looked at could have me commute to downtown Seattle or south Bellevue.

I honestly like my job.  There have been a few times that I haven’t liked it, but as a whole I do like working at ASSIC/GIP.  I like the people I work with, and I get to interact with people from a wide variety of backgrounds as we have a very diverse office.  I’ve even gone out to lunch with them a couple times already.  I am going to continue working at ASSIC/GIP and see what happens and what skills I can pick up.