1. Ask employees how you can best support them in doing their job.

"This ensures that you are

doing your best job to help your employees do theirs," Naiman says.
2. Make sure that employees have all the information, resources and support they need to do
their job. "It also demonstrates that you see yourself as [being] there to support them," Naiman adds.
3. Give continuous feedback, both positive and constructive. "This helps the employee develop
[professionally] and avoids surprises during performance reviews," Naiman says.
4. Provide opportunities for professional growth. "This lets employees know that you are in their
corner," Naiman says.
5. Don't let employees know of your own job concerns or challenges or problems in your
personal life. "This prevents employees from feeling that they have to take care of their boss," Naiman
says. "A good boss is perceived as competent and there to support his or her employees."
6. Create trust.  "A good boss is a trusted boss. So, keep promises, follow through on commitments
[and] never betray a confidence or talk about others in the organization, except in a favorable way,"
Naiman says.
7. Show compassion. "Treat employees like they're people. Not employees, but people. If one of your
direct reports had a death in the family or even a bad day, be human and compassionate," Salemi says.
8. Listen. "One of the best traits of a boss is someone who not only goes to the wall for their employees
but who also listens to them," Salemi says. "Sometimes team members just need to vent and get things
off their chest. A good boss will listen."
9. Give frequent feedback. "Instead of waiting until an annual performance review to give feedback --
good or bad -- a sign of an excellent boss is proactive behavior," Salemi says. "A fantastic boss will get
the most out of his or her employees. Giving positive feedback and acknowledging a job well-done often
results in more good work."
10. Understand your employees' jobs. When you don't completely understand what your employees
do or how they do it, it's more difficult to help them navigate their job if they need more resources,
Salemi says. "Plus, a good boss should go to bat for his or her employees. If they don't understand the
magnitude of their direct reports' job responsibilities, this may be harder to do or convince the higher-ups
of their worth."
11. Live and breathe by the company rules. If you show up late, take long lunches or are not
available at certain periods throughout the day, people notice, Salemi  says. "Rules aren't just for direct
reports to abide by. A good boss will know that their behavior is to be emulated," she says. "If the rules
don't apply to them, who should they apply to? A true leader takes this very seriously."
12. Acknowledge your employees' work. "Recognize their performance. Even as employees go
through a busy season or may be inundated with job sharing in this economy, a good manager will keep
them motivated by putting wind in their sails and, more importantly, keep turnover low," Salemi says. "If
you have a good boss, you're golden, you won't want to leave. When you know your boss is on your side,
it makes a difference in your productivity, morale and overall workplace happiness."
Have you ever asked yourself, "Could I be a CEO?" Well now there's a way to know if you have what it
takes. As featured in USA Today, a simple color preference test can predict with 90 percent accuracy
whether or not you're cut out for the corner office.
So you want to know if you're the next Steve Jobs? Simply take the Color Career Indicator 4.0 -- a two-
minute test that will provide you with your most suitable occupations based on your color preferences.
And the test is not just for aspiring CEOs. The 4.0 will recommend your top 50 most enjoyable careers.
Put your results to good use
Once you've got a list of potential career paths, check out these opportunity-enhancing tricks to help you
get started.
Make the workplace your playground
- Seek work that looks fun: What day-to-day career tasks look fun? When you love what you do,
obstacles disappear.
- Dump the company, not the career: Even a fun career is awful in a bad company environment. So don't
dismiss your career path just because you don't like the company you start out at.
- Fight for what's fun: Job enjoyment creates competency and that translates into success and never
ending opportunities. Fight for it!
Don't waste time or money
- Stack the deck to win: Avoid very competitive, low job growth fields. Seeking niches inside a broad
career path will help you make more money.
- Dream big. Start little: Where do you want to be in five years? Ten years? Success in the real world is a
step-by-step process; Secretary → Executive Administrative Assistant→ Office Manager.
- Think Career, not a job: Don't snub an occupation if it's low-wage. Ask yourself, "How can I leverage
this experience?"
Maximize your potential if you're:
- A first-time job seeker: You need experience. Investigate where you can best get on-the-job training.
Visualizing opportunities ahead is energizing.
- Experienced: Expand your job description availability list. Based on your current experience, explore
what recommended careers are best suited to your career path.
- Student: Study each potential career; answer the question "What would I love to do?" Transfer your
"idea" into both a long-term and a short-term plan. Then, choose a curriculum that will land that first job.
Don't over think it -- Just do it!
Second guessing yourself is destructive to your career. It diminishes your self-confidence and ability to be
a forthright, energized applicant.
Create "niche résumés"
Break all your past careers into a list of tasks performed.
Job description example: Separated by-task.
Customer service manager:
1. Managed 30 individuals.
2. Filled out daily production reports.
3. Conducted hiring interviews.
Tasks Niche Resumes
1. Managed 30 Individuals: Store Manager, Operations Manager
2. Daily production reports: Quality Control Manager, Production Manager
3. Hiring experience: HR Assistant, Staffing Industry Manager
Now create a niche résumé by adding the language used in niche job posting ads. Then, plug it into your
existing résumé format.
Get yourself out there
Your goal: Be told "no" 30 times. Then, chances are you'll get a "yes." Don't take it personal. Run the
numbers. Take a lesser job to get your foot in the door.
Get acquainted with those actually doing the job. Attend association meetings. Offer to work as an
intern or for a smaller salary. They were once in your shoes and will hear your sincerity.
Most referrals come from a friend of a friend. So expand your Facebook and LinkedIn networks to
include them too. "Soft-sell" your skills. Tell them what you dream to do!
Slam dunk the interview
- Know the company: Google them before the interview. Interject "congratulations" in areas that they
have done well.
- Don't be intimated: See the interview as an informational conversation.
- Express your interest in the position: Tell the interviewer from your heart that the position they're
offering is your dream job. Doors will open!
Follow-up with pizzazz
- Phone calls: Got a phone number? Call them when they first arrive at work. Chances are greater that
they'll answer their phone.
- E-mails: Be creative. Whatever it takes. Include career-specific article links. Keep them coming. Out of
sight, out of mind.
- Never stop promoting: Even when you hear a "no," ask for a referral or company name where you
might fit. What have you got to lose?