Are you the employee or the manager in this situation?
Well either way, you will take something home I’m sure from today’s post.
I have been both. I have been the employee in many instances & I have been the Manager.
Have you ever gone to google & typed in ‘bad managers’? I did & article upon article popped up. That is not a good thing in my opinion. This seems to happen everywhere, in every industry & company through out the globe.
Why do we keep bad managers? I can clearly tell when someone is lazy, not working & taking credit for another person’s hard work, so, why can management not see that for themselves? Or is it something unknown or deep rooted? Is it some kind of leverage or seniority that merits loyalty? hmmm… There are hundreds of reasons I am sure that any bad manager can drum up if need be, to excuse themselves from bad practices/habits.
In my opinion if you are not working & pulling your weight, then you shouldn’t be a manager. Often times employees learn from their environment & those above them. If you are a manager & you are coming in late daily, not producing, then you shouldn’t expect the same great results from your employees. Why, you ask? Because they are looking at you for direction, leadership, instruction & instead you are flipping through your phone or playing solitaire on your computer, dabbling in matters that might not be priority. The lists goes on and on.
Sometimes, not always the employees can be the one to set the stage for a bad manager because they begin with the mentality that they can’t or won’t do something with out direct supervision. You might say that is not a bad thing, but it breeds this sort of dependence & enables a similar attitude. If an employee can not think for themselves then they can’t produce! Suffocation at its finest. I hear this all the time from candidates that I speak to. Story after story of how micromanagement creates a toxic environment.
There should be some form of accountability for managers. I know some companies have the infamous CRM systems to track progress, others have quarterly meetings & some event week meetings! What does your company have in place?
If your company had better managers in place then you would also have increased productively & an increase in probably moral & sales. They go hand in hand!
Whats a sign you have a bad manager?
–Employees start to pack up then box & seek greener pastures.
–Company morale is down. No one is happy to be there. There are grunts & sighs & complaining happening more and more. Has HR received complaints? Do you even check?
–The sales have either stayed stagnant or tanked. Neither of which are good.
When is it okay to say, “Au Revior” to that manager putting aside tenure, seniority or what ever else has them in that position? Is it 3 warnings & you are gone. Is it a full on protest & petition signed by all employees to get the job done? What is the standard before you let a bad manager go?
I came across an article written by Dawn Motsiff over at Insperity’s blog about the proper procedures to have in place before termination. (If you are someone going through these heed warning someone is not happy with your performance)
–Documentation is KEY!
–Great expectations. Verbalize, communicate & write out exactly what the requirements are, that need to be met.
–Mentor that person. Show them, let them grow & build the role for themselves. Let them fail & be there to pick them back up & redirect.
–Performance reviews that go along with a performance plan! This is gold people. Not every company does it, but man what a great instrument in teaching for any manager. Not to mention the support they feel from the superior when this step is completed.
–Write that plan down, print it out & pin it in their office. Let them see it & visualize it daily.
–Then…drum roll…termination.
If you are doing all those things as a good manager or supervisor & still the employee can’t seem to get their game straight, then I think its safe to say….termination is your next step.
