Beech Tree News Network

National Boss’s Day is Friday, October 16th. Although I am retired, this holiday causes me to reflect on my previous bosses or supervisors. Having worked in education for 32 ½ years and in other job settings as well, I realize how blessed I was to have had so many good people surrounding me. But, even so, I had days when I wondered how I could go back to work the next day. Our bosses have a huge impact on our work environments.

An article on the Internet listed some interesting statistics about bosses:
•    An estimated 11 million people work in supervision or management roles in the United States.
•    Of all the bosses in the world, approximately 40% are female, and approximately 12% of American companies have female CEOs.
•    Survey results showed approximately 86% of Americans gave their bosses praise and approximately 32% admitted to disobeying their bosses' orders (https://www.softschools.com/facts/holidays/bosss_day_facts/1338/).

I asked friends and family whether they appreciate their bosses. Their responses were:
•    Not where I work!
•    I do appreciate my bosses; I have two bosses most of the time. There have been times when I didn’t appreciate some things that were done; but overall, I appreciate how they work with me and listen to my opinion.
•    Yes, usually I give them a card or a small gift.
•    Yes, very much in the past. A former boss who was my boss for many years was my mentor. I appreciated her very much. Since she retired, she still helps my coworker and me out some. I always got her a little something for Boss’s Day, such as a mum, gift card to Subway, etc. I miss her as my boss very much now. As a matter of fact, I should still get her something, not as my boss but as my friend for all that she still does for me!
•    Yes, a group of us who reported to the same VP would always go together and get her flowers or a gift card to a favorite store.
•    Yes. My boss tries to be very fair and sensitive to things going on in the lives of all his employees. He has an open door and an open mind. I have had other bosses who did not care.
•    I appreciate the ones who do their job well while keeping a good relationship with their employees. Not mine.
•    I do appreciate my boss! She works at home just as much as at work. When something is happening at work, she always reminds us and keeps us up to date even though it’s our responsibility. I’m pretty sure we would all be lost without her!
•    I always appreciated my bosses who would help their employees out when we were busy, even though it wasn’t their “job.” They were leaders, not dictators, and they didn’t care to get their hands dirty if that meant helping us out.
•    All but one!
•    Sometimes. Now, I’m the boss.
•    I certainly respect the position of the boss and do what I am supposed to do. But, for a boss who truly is not just a boss but is a leader, I would go beyond all expectations. I believe that is loyalty to your boss and that is when ‘magic’ exists and many things can be accomplished. For example, a leader generates enthusiasm while a boss issues ultimatums.
•    I have had bosses I appreciated very much, and others not so much. My current boss is appreciated because he is supportive, and we try to celebrate his leadership every Boss’s Day!

Lee Iacocca said, “The speed of the boss is the speed of the team,” and Theodore Roosevelt said, “People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives” (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/boss.html). I appreciate my former bosses/leaders. Most of them were genuinely good people who let me know what they expected of me (critical information). So, on October 16th, happy Boss’s Day!