Perhaps it’s happening because you’ve purchased a business. Perhaps you’ve recently hired someone. Perhaps you’ve had to promote or replace a team leader.
Whatever the reason is, when one of your employees is asked to do something, they begin their reply with: “My old boss used to…”
If you employ more than one or two people, I’m sure you’ve heard this phrase.
What your staff need to understand is that they have no “old boss” and “new boss” they can play off against each other; like a toddler who isn’t happy daddy won’t let her have a toffee apple so instead she starts begging mum for one.
In fact, they don’t have an “old boss” and a “new boss” at all. They only have one boss. That’s you, boss!
If they like their former employer, supervisor or team leader so much, they can go pester their “old boss” for a paycheque. Oh wait a minute, that’s right, their former employer isn’t signing their paycheques or paying the power bill. You are!
And since you sign the cheques, you get to choose the orders. If they don’t like your management, no one is forcing them to take your paycheques, now are they?
So here’s what you’re going to do: You’re going to make your workplace an old boss free zone. In fact, it might even be an idea to stick up a sheet of paper on a message board or write a note on the whiteboard in big, bold letters “your old boss doesn’t work here!”
Similarly, as soon as anyone uses the phrase “old boss” in your office, shout them down and say “you have no old boss!”
After all, it’s what your old boss (or should that be your Old Taskmaster) would do!
Get it done – today!
Andrew Sadauskas is a former journalist at SmartCompany and a former editor of TechCompany.
