Brigette Hyacinth* says the secret of a great workplace is not the number of perks and benefits on offer, but the way employees are treated by their immediate managers.
Many managers lack fundamental training in leading people.
They also lack the empathy and awareness needed to effectively interact with employees. This has dire consequences.
When employees quit, the top reason for their resignation is their relationship with their manager.
Here are some of the mistakes managers make that cause good employees to quit.
They are inflexible and make things difficult:
They make mountains out of molehills for things like an employee needing time off or wanting to take lunch earlier.
Employees should feel comfortable to approach you at all times, but when you are inflexible, it creates a wall between you and your team.
Putting your team first and using your judgement in certain situations, will make people more inclined to trust you.
If an employee gives their all to an employer and they respond with inflexibility during their time of need, the relationship is lost.
Showing favouritism:
It’s really sad when employees can tell who will be getting the next promotion because of their close relationship with the manager.
Always favouring certain employees for promotions and assignments is a sure way to damage team morale.
Employees who are not in your inner circle will always believe that you favour the employees who are — whether you do or not.
This perception destroys team spirit and undermines engagement.
They are quick to blame or punish employees:
A bad boss assumes the worst.
Throwing employees under the bus rather than standing up for the team in distressing moments is a sure way to lose points.
As the leader, why not act with dignity and advocate for your employees?
If you want to build loyalty, you must demonstrate loyalty.
When you blame employees, it destroys your credibility and leads to a culture of distrust.
They don’t show they care:
A bad boss treats workers like they’re interchangeable.
Employees want to work for someone who treats them like a person.
They have emotions and personal lives.
If you care about employees, you will not continuously push them to work long hours or contact them after hours.
Taking a healthy interest in your employees’ lives is the first step in relationship building.
If a staff member is dealing with personal issues such as illness or bereavement, show empathy instead of solely focusing on when they will be back to work.
They don’t recognise accomplishments:
No one likes to feel ignored or have their efforts taken for granted.
Appreciate employees; show them how much you value their efforts.
It does not have to be always about monetary rewards, but simple things like “thank you” and “well done” go a long way.
Bad bosses make work drudgery and it’s always onward to the next task.
Employees spend more than half of their lives at work so create a fun atmosphere where you celebrate successes and bring people together.
Micromanaging employees:
Your job as a manager is to provide the tools and support an employee needs to effectively perform.
Micromanagement sucks the life out of employees.
If you hired someone for a job then trust them to get it done.
Constantly monitoring an employee’s every movement can be disheartening.
They have no interest in employees’ development:
One of the top reasons employees leave an organisation is the lack of development opportunities.
Employees can interpret an employer’s unwillingness to invest in training as a disregard for their professional development.
Acknowledge and encourage strengths, recognise the different skills employees possess and recommend them for opportunities.
Subsequently, if a team member has informed you they want to move to another Department support their wishes, don’t be an obstacle to them.
You can have all the perks and benefits but if you treat employees poorly, they will still leave.
If a manager has a foundation of truly caring for their people, it becomes easier to lead and retain good employees.
Your staff can tell if you are authentic and want the best for them.
When employees have a boss who truly cares, they are willing to go the extra mile to ensure successful outcomes.
*Brigette Hyacinth founded the MBA Caribbean Organisation which conducts seminars and workshops in leadership, management and education as well as providing motivational speeches. She can be contacted at www.mbacaribbean.org.
This article first appeared on Brigette’s blogsite.
