3 Avoidable, Highly Toxic Management Mistakes
Employees leave managers, not companies. At least that’s what they say but is it true?
Perhaps. What is certain, however, is that of many of the reasons cited by people leaving their jobs, the vast majority stem from issues concerning the management, be it directly or indirectly. Money, benefits, training, technology, processes, progression, culture, and so on, are all in the hands of managers to influence or change. However, these are relatively easy things to improve upon, if motivated to do so.
Worse offenders are the common management behavioral traits that frequently cause people to update their CVs.
Pulling insight from all corners of our candidate interviewing experience, here are 3 classic managerial approaches that routinely upset team members and sometimes cause them to seek alternative employment.
Unfulfilled Promises
When people join a company, they do so fully believing the dream sold by the hiring manager during the interview and offer stage. Naturally, plans change and unforeseen events occur which can hinder a manager’s ability to make good on their promises, but all too often senior dreamers get carried away in interviews, appraisals and other meetings with a lot of promising, exciting talk without any real ability or intention to follow through.
Guess what? People don’t like to be let down and when it happens, they talk about it. Not just internally either! To their friends, family and worse, their next series of competitor interviewers and later, with their new boss and colleagues, eager to hear the gossip from a rival. Times that by the number of people a manager has disappointed and, over time, the numbers really add up. Before you know it, the company has a reputation for making false promises making it hard to attract and retain staff.
Credit Where Credit Isn’t Due
A manager stealing an idea or taking unearned credit is a low, selfish and shameless punch below the belt for anyone to experience and yet, its surprisingly common. Victims are left helpless, often unable to prove otherwise, and even if they can, what further suffering would lay in wait for them if they dare make a challenge? So, they back down, lick their wounds, update their CV and leave.
So, now the short sighted, glory hunting manager has lost yet another valuable, creative professional capable of innovation good enough to impress the brass. Well done!
Are We There Yet? Are We There Yet?
Most managers are impatient, especially those in charge of other managers, and are tolerated because often their impatience breeds pace and often returns results. However, the line is thin. Should they push their staff too far, they quickly become an over-communicating pest seemingly hell-bent on hourly distraction, like an overly enthusiastic back seat toddler. The stress this causes can quickly become intolerable and will, 100%, result in resignations. Management isn’t about head pecking. If it were, they’d be called Head Peckers, and aptly so.
The bottom line: Management styles vary greatly, each with their own set of pros and cons, however, how a person responds to lies, aggression, manipulation and disrespect is universal. Seems so simple! Ironically, many managers are blissfully unaware of the damage they’re causing to their own success by subjecting their own staff to these kind of behaviours.
