Most of us can say that we’ve had a “not so nice” boss at one point in our lives. But, it’s these bosses that help us realize when we’ve got something good. The best bosses are the ones who have the biggest impact on our careers, and inspire us to grow and be successful.

As an employer, you can’t make everyone happy. You’re dealing with a lot of different personalities and it can be extremely stressful. But, if you take the time to learn about your staff members and put in the effort to make your office a positive work environment, you and your employees will be much happier and much more productive. Here are some tips!

What Makes them Tick
People are driven by different things from acceptance and positive reinforcement to money and power. There are a ton of personality tests out there to help employers. These tests can give you more in depth knowledge about your employees, and how they are motivated.

Praise
Do you tell your employees that they are doing a good job? Praise is completely underutilized. Every once in a while, make sure you give them a little bit of positive reinforcement. A little compliment goes a long way.

Explain
When you’re assigning a project to your staff, end it with “Do you have any questions?” This opens the door for them. Many times staff members are hesitant to ask questions, as they are afraid that you’ll lose confidence in them. Let them share their ideas, as many times it can bolster a project to new levels.

Focus on the Positive
Your employees are going to make mistakes. You have to address the errors, but start and finish the conversation with something positive.

Get Out of the Office
Take your staff out of the office for a team building day. Studies show that team building not only boosts employee morale, but motivates and generates enthusiasm.

It’s the Little Things
You may not have a budget to pay your staff a huge salary, but the little things can really make your employees happy. When they are happy, they are much more productive.

• Give them their birthday off or have a little celebration at work
• Every once in a while, take them out to lunch
• If you have a strict dress code, start up a casual Friday
• If possible, allow for telecommuting
• Encourage health and fitness at the workplace – start a staff running club during lunch. Lead by example.
• If they have children, be understanding if they have to call out. I was always lucky to have bosses who were extremely supportive of my family life. But, I’ve heard of some horror stories. Don’t be one of them!
  As I turn my public relations hat on, I will leave you with this. Public relations is about you and your company’s image. The last thing you want is employees talking negatively about you or your company. You can’t control everything, but if you are fair to your staff, they should reciprocate. What makes your office a great working environment? I would love to hear what your boss does to make work enjoyable.