ON TAP FROM THE PUB

By Tom Field Executive Summary: Our publisher gets

Astute, not aloof

For most of my adult life, I’ve worked for myself. So, if I don’t like the boss, I have only myself to blame.

But I did have several “two-year-or fewer” assignments with real employers and real supervisors. I either reported directly to the boss, or one C-level down. In our feature on Best Bosses, I noticed most respondents were able to quickly identify a favorite boss— even if they had a lot of jobs.

It made me think. I guess I’m in the same boat. Most of my bosses were ok. A few (three?) were not good at all (and those provided as useful lessons as the good or average ones).

But one did stand out.

Larry Bernath was brought into a Roanoke-based engineering and manufacturing company as a ringer of sorts. Hired for the specific purpose of improving the business—in that most important operation of sales and marketing. In fact, I had heard through the grapevine that the “purpose” was specific to the point where the president-owner-founder had an objective to hit a revenue milestone that was quite aggressive—near impossible.

These “conditions” bring me back to Larry.

My entrance—his hiring of me—was a rough start. Larry described that I would be coming in to replace a beloved employee. EVERYBODY loved her. But he was building a “new department,” and I might feel the heat of disfavor for a while (since he just fired her).

He was right.

I was 25 years old; I needed a job; and I wanted something in advertising. So, though I was excited to get this “marketing coordinator” position, indeed I felt some animosity from my brand new fellow employees.

Larry also said that roughness would wear off. And he was right about that, too. I ended up making some of the best work friends a guy could have.

How Larry handled that initial trouble was the same characteristic that made him a good boss. He had his own plate full; but he treated my work there like it affected him and was just as critical to his performance.

There are numerous examples of Larry’s attentiveness; but in short, he cared for his charges. Many bosses can be aloof to employees who they see as having their own tasks that are separate from the overall management. These bosses can’t get involved in the details of every employee; they have their own workload, after all.

But a really good boss is astute, gives that attention, earns loads of respect, and ultimately serves the business well beyond bossy duties.