October 16 is Boss's Day: Eight Signs of a Fantastic Boss

With Boss's Day October 16, now is a good time to celebrate all the positive things about your boss.

With so many bad bosses out there, when you have a fantastic boss, you don't want to take your boss for granted. Most people know when they are fortunate enough to have a truly special boss. October 16 is a good day to show appreciation.

Here are eight signs of an exceptional boss.

A good boss is positive, upbeat and enthusiastic about the company, its product or service, and everyone who works there.

A good boss makes sure you have the resources you need to get the job done.

A good boss doesn’t micromanage; he or she gives you guidance and trusts you to do your work well.

When there’s a problem, a good boss is into solving it, not into spreading blame.

When you do a good job, a good boss lets you know in front of others whenever possible. When you’ve messed up, a good boss doesn't berate you in public, he or she analyzes what went wrong with you in private, and helps you set goals for improvement.

A good boss reviews your career goals with you periodically and offers training or other resources that could support your chosen path.

A good boss listens, takes your comments or ideas seriously and implements them when possible and always letting you know why when it’s not possible.

A good boss doesn’t play favorites. They are fair and impartial. A good boss is not your buddy and may not join the gang for "happy hour," but you always know where you stand.

Of course, the exact opposite of everything that makes a good boss good are found in the makeup of a bad boss. If you have a bad boss, don’t fake it on Boss's Day and pretend everything is okay. It will just stroke your bad boss’s ego and make things worse. But, if you have a good boss, someone that has most (not necessarily all) of the above traits, thank your boss. Be specific about why you feel the way you do. It will make your boss realize that he or she is on the right track and will reinforce continued positive behavior.

For workers who have to face a less-than-ideal boss, tips on succeeding despite a bad boss can be found at http://www.noellenelson.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GotABadBoss or at https://twitter.com/GotABadBoss.

Stop Your Bad Boss From Spreading Toxic Behavior

 An August 2014 Michigan State University study found that bad bosses’ toxic habits are often mirrored by their employees, which spreads hostility and dysfunction within the workplace. You can help stop the spread of this bad behavior by the way you interact with your bad boss.

When a supervisor creates a hostile atmosphere in the workplace, employees are not able to come up with their best work much less innovative ideas. Just as one bad apple spoils the entire barrel, a bad boss can spoil the entire team.

To stop this spread, workers need to go against their natural responses. We tend to model the behavior of those in front of us. If the boss is modeling bad behavior, then people that report to him allow themselves to show their worst instead of their best. IIf the boss encourages yelling and is always irritable, employees will follow. It’s the ‘kick the dog’ phenomenon.

These behaviors can be changed. Instead of accepting your boss’s hostile attitude, turn it around. See yourself as helping with your boss’ success, which will help advance your own career. Make a conscientious effort to not let your bad boss get to you. If your boss is always blaming others, particularly you, when things go wrong, be his or her problem-solver. Don’t let this insecure finger pointer cause you to start yelling at your colleagues. Stay calm and immediately offer to help. Then follow through. Eventually, your boss will see you as a much-needed ally to make him  or her look good, which is all what most bad bosses want in the first place. The temperature of the workplace will go down.

By stopping the negative behavior at the source, workers will be less on edge and more likely to be their true selves. Most people are essentially good and want to do their best at work. Sometimes, they just get caught up in a negative work culture.

For tips on working with specific bad boss types, go to http://www.noellenelson.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GotABadBoss or at https://twitter.com/GotABadBoss.