The quality of bosses (and the impact they have on their employees) is the biggest influence on organizational performance.

Lousy bosses create confusion and stress; they contribute to higher turnover and lower productivity. When employees leave a company they often cite poor relationships with their superiors.

On the other hand, there is a direct link between an employee’s perception of their boss and the commitment they have to the work they do. The higher the opinion, the more likely the employee is engaged and focused — elements that translate positively to the bottom line.

So how do you separate naughty from nice? How do you get bad bosses to act better?

Recognition plays a big part there. Good bosses are clear on what needs to be done. They set expectations that are clear, meaningful and actionable. They praise efforts and reward results.

Bad bosses do just the opposite. Their employees rarely know what’s expected of them. And when they do perform well, they hear nothing back. That’s not too nice at all is it?

And here’s another secret best bosses have. It’s called social recognition. Smart superiors know they don’t always need to express gratitude with something tangible. In fact, they use social recognition to promote positive performances. They know that when you say “thanks” to one employee the clarity of purpose spreads across the ranks. Everyone can see the recognition given, they can comment on it and, more importantly, they can follow and learn from the example. Nice huh?