October 16, 2017, is National Boss’s Day. Express some verbal appreciation to your supervisor today! Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash.

Happy National Boss’s Day!! to those of you who have accepted the added responsibilities of leading your charges, mentoring employees, signing time cards, evaluating performance, delegating tasks, managing your team, and all those other get-to-dos that you get to do. Today is a special day just for you!

I’ve been in the work force for nearly 30 years and can honestly say that I have been very fortunate in the How’s Your Boss? category.

When I first became a mother more than 20 years ago, I really hit the jackpot with the first of several incredible bosses who have fully supported my approach to work-life balance: combining family with a part-time career.

Here are the traits I’ve seen in all my supervisors since 1995:

Love What You Do

Each one has had a genuine interest in and passion for their chosen profession. All are/were well-respected in their industry and had a natural desire to help their employees excel.

Know and Support Your Employees’ Life Stage and Preferences

Each of my supervisors has completely supported my part-time status, whether they initially approved it or ‘inherited’ me from a hiring manager. None of them ever pressured me to switch to full-time status.

Fight for Your Subordinates

My supervisors have gone to bat for me, whether that means seeking a pay increase, nominating me for a bonus or award, approving pertinent training opportunities, or increasing my level of responsibility.

Help Your People Grow

My supervisors have provided opportunities for me to learn new skills and subject matter areas, and to grow as a professional. A good boss should be happy to see employees grow, advance, and move on to bigger and better.

Communicate the Good and the Bad

Each of my bosses has been a good communicator who can convey words of praise as well as redirects and constructive criticism when needed.

Maintain a Calm Demeanor

This is a personal preference of mine, but I don’t think I’m alone. For me, a calm and kind personality is far more effective than a high-strung and demanding one.

Be Completely Professional

My About Carol page tells you that I have an engineering degree, which places me in a historically male dominated industry. I can tell you that each one of my direct supervisors and everyone up the chain of command have been completely appropriate, ALWAYS. Never have I been subjected to an inappropriate word, look, touch, or anything from any of them. Never. For that I am grateful.

Let me say Happy Boss’s Day, 2017! and Thank You! to all my supervisors, past and present, as well as any of you who are supervisors.

In the comments section below, share POSITIVE traits of your favorite bosses. Then sign up to receive blog posts via email and let’s engage in conversation about part-time careers!