We've all had a bad boss or bad employee - someone who is determined to be unhappy, creates distractions or generally does their job poorly without seeking guidance or aiming to improve. Frustration with these types of people is easy to understand, but the goal of every manager (and, in fact, every peer) should be to lift up those on all sides of an organization to ensure success. Working with each other’s strengths and weaknesses rather than against is the best way to ensure that success, so here are a few ways you can get started on that path today:

1. Assess strengths and skills by asking the right questions
What do your employees enjoy most about their work? What skills do they have that they don't get to access regularly? In their time working with you, what were their best days? Their worst? Why? How can you bolster them for success?

2. Find purpose
Everyone, including those who work for and with you, work for a reason. It may be for money, it may be for challenge or recognition, it may be that they are passionate about the mission of your organization. Find the purpose for each person you work with to determine what motivates them and access that motivation when incentivizing your employees.

3. Invest in your employees
Everyone wants to feel valued, including by their employer. One way to show that you value them while benefiting your organization is to invest in them: invest in their comfort (tailor desks and chairs to individual needs, provide snacks in the break room, etc.) and invest in their career development with trainings beyond what is mandatory for their jobs. People want to know they're valued for what they currently do and what they could accomplish in the future.

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Everyone has potential to be a great employee, to benefit your organization and advance themselves. It should be the goal of everyone in your organization to support each other and work together. We hope you find these tips useful in finding ways to lift everyone up.