RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — This is “National Boss’s Day.” Did you know that? If so, did you get your chief a gift? Well, it’s not too late. At least you can say, “Thank you!”

For you bosses out there, if no one remembers – or everyone makes it a point to ignore the big day – you might want to ask yourself what you might do better in order to improve your performance in the eyes of the staff.

Here are some points from Dr. Travis Bradberry, author of the new book “Squawk! How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results” as well as head of a think-tank firm called TalentSmart:

  1. Don’t Pass the Buck: When you set expectations for your staff, make sure you’re the one explaining what will be expected of them. Don’t pass the buck to someone else.
  2. Check In Everyday: Make your communication with your team is frequent and sincere. You can’t help people get results if you don’t know how they’re doing.
  3. Block Time to Do Your Real Job: Schedule time in your calendar each day where you can be up and out of your desk, focusing solely on the needs of your team. Remember, as a manager, the primary purpose of your job is managing people.
  4. Leave Your Door Open: Seagull managers (see below) lose touch, partially because they’re not approachable.
  5. Show Them the Way: When it comes to managing performance, balance praise with constructive criticism. Your team needs you to show them when they’re doing things right, as well as when they’re off track.”

In his new book, Bradberry notes research showing a lot of people spend a lot of time every day complaining about – you guessed it – the “boss.”

He calls the big culprits “seagulls.”

Let him explain:

“Jobs are scarce and workers are staying put, even those stuck under what I like to call ‘the seagull manager,’" he wrote in a piece about Boss’s Day.

So what’s a seagull?

“Instead of taking the time to get the facts straight and work alongside their staff to realize a viable solution, seagull managers swoop in at the last minute, squawk at everybody and deposit steaming piles of formulaic advice before abruptly taking off and leaving behind an even bigger mess than when they started,” he says. “Seagulls interact with their employees only when there’s a fire to put out. Even then, they move in and out so hastily – and put so little thought into their approach – that they make bad situations worse by frustrating and alienating those who need them the most.”

If you’re a seagull, don’t expect bouquets or even a “thank you” today.