People, research has shown, do not leave a company they leave their manager. The reason for this is that too many managers have not been given effective training to teach them how to lead people. Such managers typically make 7 fundamental mistakes that ultimately lead to their good employees quitting.
1. The manager is inflexible and makes every problem difficult.
Poor managers make a mountain out of a mole hill. They create a wall between themselves and their team and make it hard for people to approach them with problems.
Even for simple things, such as a team member needing to take some time off or wanting to take their break earlier, they are inflexible and rule bound.
Of course, no manager should be unethical or break company procedures, but by putting your team first and using your judgement in certain situations, you will make your team more inclined to trust you. If your employees give their all to the team and the company and are then met with inflexibility by you during their time of need, the relationship is lost and they are more likely to leave.
2. Having favourites.
The manager who has favourites and always gives such employees the interesting assignments or promotion opportunities damages their team’s morale and leads to disengaged staff.
Even when the favouritism isn’t as overtly obvious, any employee who is not part of your inner circle will always believe that you favour those employees who are—whether you do or not. This perception will destroy team spirit and undermine employee engagement.
3. The manager is fast to blame or to punish employees.
A bad manager assumes the worst of their employees. They throw their employees to the lions rather than standing up for them in distressing moments. When the manager openly blames their employees, it destroys their own credibility and leads to a culture of distrust
Your team will look to you in distressing times and expect you as the manager to act with dignity and as an advocate for them. In this way you build loyalty by first demonstrating it.
Remember, good managers don’t dwell on the mistakes made by their team, hold grudges or point the finger of blame. Instead they take responsibility and focus on solving the problem.
4. They don’t show that they care.
A bad manager treats employees as if they were machines and are interchangeable. People do not want to work for a manager who treats them like a robot.
Your employees have emotions and personal lives. Managers who care about their employees do not continuously push them to work longer and longer hours or contact them after hours or during their holidays.
The first step in relationship building starts with taking a healthy interest in your employees' lives and supporting their work/life balance. They show through their actions that they sincerely care about their employees’ well-being. If a staff member is dealing with personal issues such as illness or bereavement they show empathy rather than solely focusing on when that employee will be back at work.
5. They don't recognize their employees’ accomplishments.
Nobody likes to feel ignored or to feel that their work efforts are taken for granted. "People” Dale Carnegie famously said “work for money but go the extra mile for recognition, praise and rewards."
Good managers appreciate their employees and show them how much they value their efforts. This appreciation is not about monetary rewards, it is doing simple things such as saying "Thank You" and "Well done".
Bad managers make the work a drudgery. With them it is always onward to the next task with no recognition for what has just been done.
People spend over half of their lives at work, so managers must create a fun atmosphere where success is celebrated and people are brought together.
6. Bad managers micromanage their employees.
The role of the manager is to provide the right tools and appropriate support your employees need to effectively perform. Micromanaging people sucks the life out of them. If you have allocated the work to someone, then trust them to get it done. Constantly monitoring your employees’ every movement can be demotivating. Managers need to learn when to step back and let their employees do their work.
Micro-managers make every decision. Good managers ask their team for input and encourage them to come up with ideas. People like to feel that they have some say in what happens to them.
However, worse than not asking, is asking but then never doing anything with the input. So make sure you act on your teams suggestions, or at least let them know the reasons why you haven’t.
7. Bad managers have no interest in their employees' development.
One of the top reasons employees give for leaving a company is the lack of development opportunities. Employees can interpret a manager’s unwillingness to provide training as a disregard for their professional development.
Good managers acknowledge and encourage their team’s strengths, they recognize the different skills their employees possess and recommend them for development opportunities. They also assist rather than block their team member’s internal promotion or transfer.
A company can give their employees all the perks and benefits but if their managers’ do not know how to lead people well, then their best staff will leave.
Leadership training ensures your managers know how to truly care for people, and with good leadership their team becomes more willing to go the extra mile to ensure successful outcomes. A win-win situation!
