verversiocompanyThe sign, which reads ’we all quit’ and ’sorry for the inconvenience,’ was put up by angry staff members trying to send a message to upper management. Picture: Rachael Flores/Twitter
“We All Quit” read the sign at the Burger King eatery after a group of employees all quit together, but before leaving they made sure to let everyone know.
For months the news has been filled with stories about the sudden and large number of people quitting their jobs. So many people have resigned they’re calling it “The great resignation.”
What’s going on?
Some of the reasons for the resignations according to the experts are for better employment options, higher pay, collect unemployment checks, to find more fulfilling work, etc.
There’s no one reason…
But one mantra that has been repeated for years started with the Gallup company which concluded that “People don’t quit companies, they quit bosses.” Gallup is a management training company so it’s not surprising they believe the solution is training managers.
However, other research shows that while managers matters; the biggest impact comes from organizational leadership. Bad bosses do have an impact, but it’s not the main reason why people leave their organizations.
But I’m not going to let you managers and leaders of the hook that easily.
After leading an HR section for over two years, having had dozens of bosses over my career, and my own share of mistakes as a manager/leader here’s my personal list the 7 worst habits of ineffective leaders (and managers).
Working in an organization that requires moving to a different location/country every two to three years has given me the chance to see and compare tons of different management styles and personalities.
And one of the things I’ve learned is that becoming a great manager is really about transitioning to becoming a true leader.
I won’t go into too much detail now, but what I’m finding is that people don’t want to be managed anymore, they want to be led by good leaders.
So, here’s my list of 7 highly ineffective things leaders (and managers) do. I’m guilty of most of these things so I’m not trying to act like I’m some leadership guru.
In no particular order…
- The Micromanager: “I love being micromanaged” said no one in the history of work. Being a micromanager is absolutely terrible and inexcusable, but some managers still do it. If you feel the need to micromanage it means 1) you didn’t train the employee well enough, 2) you hired the wrong person, or 3) you have trust issues. All of those are the manager’s fault. Why would you hire someone to do something, but spend your time watching every move they make and dictating each step? You’re wasting your time, their time, and the organizations time. Cut it out!
- The Yes-To-Everything Manager: Saying yes to everything is not an effective management style. Being a yes man/woman backfires at some point because saying yes to everything means you’re saying no to other things. Managers who say yes to everything are inviting criticism and a lack of respect from their peers and subordinates because it shows they don’t have the backbone to say no to things that are not important.
- Mr/Ms Royalty: These managers are seriously confused because they act more like royalty so instead of leading they are giving edicts, demand unearned respect, and expecting to be served at all times. These people believe leadership is more about authority when in actuality it’s more about responsibility. They believe that those who report to them are beneath them. They take and don’t give. And they don’t produce anything of value.
- The Avoider: This manager avoids ANYTHING that could potentially be difficult from hard conversations, to terminations, to saying no to ridiculous requests. If you’re in a supervisory position you WILL have to make tough decisions and do things you find difficult and uncomfortable like addressing poor performance or disciplinary issues. Avoiding confrontations and potential conflict is not the solution. Serious problems don’t solve themselves. Managers who avoid doing the hard stuff are super annoying to work with. If there’s a jerk in the office it’s up to the manager do something about it; don’t expect your employees to handle it or put up with it just because you’re unwilling to do something about it. If someone is creating a toxic environment, the supervisor must stop it.
- The Un-Protector: Not sticking up for employees when they are in the right or when there’s someone causing a toxic work environment is awful. This in my opinion is the worst on this list. And even worse is a manager who willy-nilly blames his employees (everyone else) whenever something goes wrong. If something is going wrong in your team/section/organization and you’re in charge look in the mirror to find the problem. Take responsibility! If you don’t assume responsibility and fight for your people then why should they look out for you?
- The Know-it-All: It’s incredibly annoying when a manager/leader pretends to know something when it’s clear they don’t or when they feel all solutions should come from them. If you don’t know something it’s okay to ask for help, seek input, and even admit that you don’t know. You’re not supposed to know everything; you’re supposed to use the collective brainpower of those in your team to figure it out. I once worked with someone who would ask my opinion on how to address some issue. After the confidence boost of sharing my response, I was tasked with the execution of the plan I had come up with us. Was I being manipulated? Maybe, but it’s genius!
- The Confusion Maker: A long time ago I heard someone say, “Never ask someone to do something for you without knowing their name.” That stuck with me. When you’re in a leadership position, those people who work for you are under you care and not just your authority. It’s your responsibility to be as a communicate as clearly as possible and to set them up for success whenever you ask them do something. I’ve been on the receiving end of numerous messages/emails where I’ve had to gather a group together to decode what was I being asked to do.
Having said all of the above, no leader/manager is perfect. Leadership is a life-long journey. If you want to want to some help (coaching, inspiration or direction) for your leadership journey check out my book . If you prefer audio books check out this version.
