Bosses need a little love, too
Feeling appreciated by their employees is good for bosses and their companies, a new study says.
The study included 79 supervisors who, twice a day for 10 consecutive workdays, recorded how much they felt appreciated by their staff, and how that affected their energy levels, job satisfaction, sense of optimism and life satisfaction.
“On days supervisors felt more appreciated, they had more energy, and this translated into higher levels of optimism, life satisfaction, job satisfaction and helping,” said Maureen Ambrose, professor of business ethics at University of Central Florida. She co-authored the study with Sharon Sheridan from Clemson University.
“We typically look at how supervisors can boost the resources of subordinates – not the other way around.”
Researchers also found that feeling appreciated by workers had an especially strong effect on supervisors with weak self-validation.
Feeling appreciated by another person sends a strong signal that you are positively regarded, and feelings of positive regard evoke a sense of vigor – or high energy, she said.
Research suggests that when people have more energy, they are better able to maintain a positive outlook and engage in positive behaviors at work. On the other hand, when bosses have low energy, they engage in more abusive supervision, creating worse workplaces for employees.
“Anyone who has managed people knows how influential the relationships with subordinates can be,” Ambrose said. “Taking this upwards perspective may help us better understand … why supervisors do the things they do.”
Source: HealthDay
