How Bosses Can Turn Their Assistants Against Them

Are you planning to hire an assistant? If you already have one, do you treat him or her the way a good employee should be treated? If you do not, you are probably shooting yourself in the foot. You will learn things bosses do to turn good assistants bad.

Taking them for granted: It is vital to not act in a way that can make him think he is a servant who has no value. For example, you must not neglect to thank him each time he does what you ask.

Not asking nicely: It is wise to politely ask her to do things while saying please. If you simply order her to do whatever you want, she is likely to rebel and do her work in a shoddy fashion.

Treating him like dirt: You should not be mean to him. For example, you should not yell at him or tell him to shut up. This is one of the best ways to make him angry.

Not rewarding her with adequate compensation: If she is doing a good job, you better come through. It is essential to provide a decent raise in addition to praising her.

Belittling him: It is dumb to do this. One thing you should not do is call him unflattering names such as "underachiever" and "idiot".

Coming down on her too harshly: It is essential to treat her humanely while keeping in mind that she is human. The first thing you should not do is expect her to be perfect. The second is to never neglect to give her the benefit of the doubt. The third is to not criticize her work harshly. If she makes a simple error or is not doing as well as she could even though she is trying hard, you should resort to using constructive criticism.

Resorting to sexual harassment: You may not do things such as making sexual advances or remarks and trying to force him to date you. This is a no-no.

Doing things that embarrass her: It is imperative to not humiliate or show her up. For example, you must not admonish her for messing up in front of others.

Downplaying what he does: If he achieves something you think is easy, you should not say, "Anyone can do what you just did." If he does something for you without being asked, you should not retort, "That's your job."

Undermining her: It is vital to give her a sense of empowerment. You must let her make decisions pertaining to the firm and not overrule too many of them.

Do what you have learned to earn loyalty from your assistant!