The Learning & Development Resource Centre

BEST BOSS INVENTORY

Why help a boss become a “best boss?” One study found that 50 percent of work‐life satisfaction is determined by the relationship an employee has with his or her immediate boss. And, a 1999 Gallup poll determined that employees leave bosses, not organizations.

Help reduce turnover and foster better boss‐employee relationships with the Best Boss Inventory. The instrument provides a model for emulating the traits of “best” bosses, giving individuals insights into their behaviours in leading, motivating, and inspiring their employees. The Best Boss Inventory assesses 6 key skills, including Connecting People with Purpose, Encouraging Ownership, Focusing Efforts on Smart Work, Building Competence, Recognizing Achievements, and Respecting the Individual.

Learning Outcomes

• Learn about the behaviours that are linked to “best” bosses
• Determine strengths and areas of improvement in 6 best boss categories
• Expand and enhance best boss skills

Theory

The underlying premise for the Best Boss Inventory is that really good bosses are the ones who understand what people want from work and provide the environment for success. The Best Boss Model consists of 6 categories, or Best Boss Indicators:

• Connecting People with Purpose
• Encouraging Ownership
• Focusing Efforts on Smart Work Building Competence
• Recognizing Achievements
• Respecting the Individual

The extent to which bosses demonstrate these 6 skills is the extent to which they are effective at leading people, offering employees the opportunity to pursue both professional and personal goals, and creating an enjoyable workplace that is rich in trust, respect, and fairness.

How it Works

The Best Boss Inventory is a self‐administered learning instrument that yields an Overall Boss Score, as well as separate scores for each of the 6 Best Boss Indicators. The Best Boss Inventory includes a feedback component that is particularly helpful, as it allows bosses to compare and clarify perceptions, and develop a clearer picture of how their actions and behaviours are perceived by others.

Uses for the Best Boss Inventory

The Best Boss Inventory is appropriate for new leaders, managers, and supervisors as well as those who need refresher training. It can be used as a stand‐alone instrument or as a component in a larger training program focusing on supervisory skills or leadership.

What to Order/Product Contents

Order one Facilitator Guide per trainer, one Participant Guide per participant, and one Feedback Form for each of the boss’s employees.

Facilitator Guide includes:

• Administrative guidelines
• Step‐by‐step facilitator instructions (including a new "pair activity") NEW!
• Descriptions of the Best Boss Indicators
• Interpretive information
• Description of the Best Boss Model
• Ways to Improve Performance
• Sample training design
• Activities
• Reproducible participant handouts
• CD‐ROM containing Microsoft PowerPoint presentation and reproducible masters including a Certificate of Achievement, Training Evaluation, 4 handouts, as well as overhead transparency masters. NEW!
• Convenient binder format NEW!

Participant Guide includes:

• 36‐item assessment
• Pressure‐sensitive scoring form
• Interpretive information
• Description of the Best Boss Model
• Tips for Bosses
• Discussion Starters
• Action planning

Feedback Form includes:

• 36‐item assessment
• Pressure‐sensitive scoring form