According to the research, the single most common reason people give for leaving their job is bad management or supervisors.
In fact, according to a Gallup poll that asked this question to over 1 million people, the number of people who have left a job because of the impact of their manager is as high as 75%.
It stands to reason. Humans are social creatures, and no matter how much you might love your job itself, if you have to deal with toxic relationships daily, then you will inevitably end up miserable and upset. Hence the adage:
‘People join companies and leave managers.’
But how do we recognise a bad boss? There’s 4 broad categories you can break bad bosses down into,. Here’s what they are, and how to differentiate them:
The scarecrow
Scarecrows are managers who occupy a position in principle, but have effectively zero impact in their role.
By just following orders, never questioning how anything is done, or standing up for their team, this ends up with a manager who is essentially doing the bare bones to get bare and stay in their position.
The Gorilla
These managers are ones who attain a high position, and suddenly forget what it took to get there, as well as being desperate to hang on to their valued position.
You end up with someone who throws their weight around, talks down to people, and in the worst cases belittles and bullies people. It seems they forget the important factor that respect is always earned, and doesn’t just come with a title.
The demigod
This is the type of person who believes that they are essential to the running of a business, whether that’s true or not. The world revolves around them, everyone relies on them to keep going, everyone loves them, and the sun shines from their proverbial.
It’s textbook narcissism, and can have huge effects, especially if this person gets it into their head that they don’t have to follow protocol and start making decisions that affect other people, solo.
The robot
For bosses of this type, there is only one thing that matters. The figures. The bottom line is king, and this businesses employees are its servants.
Expect constant micromanager, tracking of even the smallest metrics, shuffling and changing working methods in order to find peak efficiency, and more. No one needs someone staring over their shoulder, and a good worker should be trusted to be able to do their job.
It only takes one bad person to destroy a team
And this goes double for bosses. As bosses are responsible for much of the atmosphere and environment in a workplace, a boss that no one likes, or that everyone actually fears, is quite possibly the single worst thing a workplace could implement.
It can also have damning long term health effects, including stress and anxiety, a higher chance of general sickness, and even a 60% increase in heart attacks.
Too many people become managers and forget what it was like to work alongside other people, and the impact their own bosses had on them. That’s why two thirds of people put the importance of a good boss above their own pay. That many people, over 60%, would choose a better boss over a raise.
Because that’s what we all really want. To feel like we belong and what we do is valued. A good boss will empower and strengthen their staff, will get to know them, what makes them tick, and work with them to create a super effective, and incredibly loyal, team! The power to do this is in the hands of every person who runs a team, and there’s nothing stopping you from starting today.
