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A bad boss is one of the top reasons that people leave their jobs.  Of the 595 employees responding to a Society for Human Resource Management  job satisfaction survey, only 39% said they were “very satisfied” with their relationship with their immediate supervisor.  Bad bosses can be toxic for an organization  and result in high turnover, lower productivity, more absenteeism and higher medical costs due to employee stress.

The skills needed   for success in a leadership position involve vision. But managers need different skills.  Effective communication is  an example. It is critical  to tell employees what is expected of them,  explain how their efforts and the efforts of their department or unit contribute to the  success of the company, and provide continuous feedback on job performance.  Of course, all of these things should be communicated in a way that builds the relationship between the supervisor and the employee.

That may take practice for those whose  managers personalities are not naturally suited for then role.  But  managers  can learn  these skills through coaching and experience.  It helps to have a mentor who cares about your  management development and can give you pointers.

Employees  also want to know that,  as their boss, you care about their own career development.  They want to be given the tools  and be empowered to do the job.