ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

Ellen Hollander, AARP's People Strategy Officer, was on CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch yesterday. She offered some tips about how to be a better boss...and haven't we all had a bad boss a time or two?

Her tips can be found on Donny's blog, but here's a preview:

LEARN - Yes, you can learn how to be a great boss!

BUILD TRUST - Be authentic....and whatever you do, practice what you preach.

BE ACCESSIBLE - Have an open door policy.

COMMUNICATE - Share information, especially in a timely manner.

EMPOWER - Make sure your staff is clear about your goals and help them get there.

DELEGATE - Push decision-making to the lowest possible level and don't second-guess.

REMOVE OBSTICLES - Eliminate internal barriers.

COACH - Be vested in their success by providing ongoing feedback.

HELP - Provide a safety net for failures/set backs and turn them into learning opportunities.

RECOGNIZE - Show appreciation often...in small and in big ways.

ENERGIZE - Get people excited about the vision and how their work is invaluable to achieving it.