‘Um – yeah, I’m going to need you to come in on Saturday,” this quote from the popular movie Office Space has been uttered countless times since the movie came out seven years ago. Everyone has experienced a difficult boss and we have all complained about that particular person.
However, instead of complaining about what some bosses lack, why don’t we identify the qualities that make a great boss and celebrate the people who are the best bosses?
This is exactly what Winning Work Places, in collaboration with Fortune Small Business, have been doing. This September 27 at the Mid-America Club, they will hold the:

2006 Best Bosses Conference & Celebration

Winning Work Place seeks to honor innovative leaders of small and midsize businesses who have created tightly knit workplaces and inspired intensely loyal workers.

They have been collecting nominations from happy employees who work for innovative bosses since October. With nominations now closed the list has been narrowed to 34 finalists.

In the descriptions of the pervious nominees and winners there is an obvious pattern; bosses who listen. Almost every boss nominated was described as “always available and eager to listen to employees ideas.” In fact, Colin Angle CEO of iRobot Corp. and a 2005 Best Boss recipient said that their major design and most successful product was originally an employee suggestion.

Other important features that nominees and winners have introduced into their businesses are: cross training, a sense of collaboration and teamwork, and open-book management. Most of these companies also have a turn over rate that is half what is normal for their field.

The Conference and Celebration will be held on September 27, 2006
at the Mid-America Club -
Aon Center, located at
200 E. Randolph Drive, 80th Floor 
Chicago, IL. For more information: Click Here.

If you have a boss that must be nominated, the application process for next year’s Best Boss award will begin October 1, 2006.

Best Bosses of 2005