This website is part of the Nicholas Associates Group. Click on the group logo to find out more.

What would the world look like without Bad Managers? - Article by Amanda Underhill

Let’s face it we have all worked with or for a bad Manager, but should we have to?  The popular saying “employees don’t quit their jobs, they quit their managers” wasn’t fabricated over nothing, therefore businesses need to keep this at the forefront of their mind as the War for Talent continues.

As we head into the new financial year, I have been reflecting on the main drivers behind why people seek advice from us when looking for a new role.  Contrary to belief salary, smart working and sector bias isn’t always the cause.  Working for a bad manager can override any poor paying role.

So what makes a poor Manager? I am not sure there is a ”one size fits all” answer, but here are the top 5 things I hear the most

Micromanagement

Every business is looking for their future leaders, or at least they should be.  Talent and Succession planning will be one of the biggest priorities for any business, and 8 out of 10 times we hear that it is, so why are thought leaders hiring these fantastic people to drive their business forward, but not giving them the freedom to plan and implement?  Now I am not suggesting we let people loose without key objectives and parameters in place, but by hindering your people in this way you are not allowing them to flourish into the role promised at interview. On the flip side of this, why would any Manager want to stretch themselves so thin, thus then slowing down productivity and growth?  A poor manager micromanages, seeing only one way to accomplish a task, therefore not valuing the input of others. Don’t be that guy!

Entitlement

One word…Team! Businesses only work when all of their members are engaged. When a Manager feels entitled, it undermines the entire business. Managers who feel they are “owed” will only induce stress and chaos, demotivating individuals and teams. This kind of leadership can often result in a toxic office, therefore hindering team and business growth. Bad behaviours can often be a subconscious learnt behaviour.  Trademarks of entitled Managers include; expecting but not showing respect, expecting employee sacrifices and consistently searching for praise. Businesses need to engage with thought leaders who inspire and lead their teams.

Fear, not fairness

We all know the best Managers make the best coaches; paying attention to the way people think, feel and behave, then using this knowledge to develop their people. A bad Manager, who leads with fear, will make an employee feel they are lucky to work for them, not that they are lucky to have them in their team.

Businesses need to be looking past the “Manage in fear gets the results” attitude and more towards “Manage with fairness and build an empire”, the former managers often have favourites within their team,  tailoring their style when working with them. Managers need to engage everyone! ​Employees need to move away from the fear of making a mistake, even if it does reflect badly on their Manager.  Actions shouldn’t only be praised if they make the Manager look good. Great leaders are the opposite. They will go out of their way to make their team look good. They see it as their job to help the team do great work, and they do that by letting each member fulfil their potential. Which Manager are you?

Empathy and self-awareness

Teams are inspired by Leaders that listen, support and encourage and that are self-aware. Having empathy and self-awareness demonstrates to employees you care and are invested in their future.  Not all career paths are the same.  Bad Managers often can’t see this.  They only want high performing people in their team, therefore the others can be the forgotten, thus deflating overall productivity.  It is unrealistic to think every employee will perform 100% every day.  Changes to personal circumstance play a critical part in how an employee performs. Bad Managers don’t care to find out why, and they’re often unapproachable, believing the team exists to facilitate their own advancement. You can measure the wellbeing of a company by spotting which type of Manager flourishes. If the bad Manager can make their way up the ladder, this may not be the right company for you.

Stealing ideas

Probably one of the most underrated reasons why someone looks for a new role. In any workplace your ideas are the strongest currencies you have, therefore taking credit for someone else’s success is definitely not cool and is even worse when the manager is taking the recognition. Not only does this demotivate a workforce, but it leaves you uninspired by your manager, but challenging a manager is even tougher. Good managers will float ideas hoping they’re caught by someone in their team and then support them to develop and deliver it.

The need for good managers is paramount to the success and wellbeing of any team and business.

If a business has managers with the negative traits described it needs to review where their management recruitment, succession planning or management training is failing, and what they need to put in place to ensure they are providing the best managers for their organisation.

If you can identify any of these traits in your company and would like to discuss this further or would like support on recruiting the best managers or advice on training for your current managers please do get in touch

Connect with Amanda on:

LinkedIn

Twitter

Our News Centre - Latest Posts

Short Articles

Leadership Stories Unveiled: Caroline Beardall

19/03/24

We sat down with Caroline Beardall, Founder of The Head Gardener, for the latest instalment of our Leadership Stories Unveiled series. Caroline, we’re interested in learning about your career path that led you to become The Head Gardener. Could

Leadership Stories Unveiled: Caroline Beardall

Short Articles

'Be a Good Egg' is back for 2024!

13/03/24

'Be a Good Egg' is back for 2024!

Blogs

ONS Labour Market Overview: March 2024

13/03/24

ONS Labour Market Overview: March 2024

Short Articles

Leadership Stories Unveiled: Bev Markland

05/03/24

Leadership Stories Unveiled: Bev Markland

Short Articles

Leadership Stories Unveiled: Hannah Holmes

20/02/24

Leadership Stories Unveiled: Hannah Holmes

Blogs

ONS Labour Market Overview: February 2024

13/02/24

ONS Labour Market Overview: February 2024

This site uses cookies. You can see our full cookie policy below, as well as agree to our use of cookies, or manage your individual settings.

News

Search

NA Group

The UK’s market leading partner of choice for talent management solutions, from Apprentice to Boardroom.

Our teams are specialists in their field, supporting apprentice and graduate placements, flexible workers, quality permanent recruitment, executive search and innovative L&D and software consultancy. Click below to visit our company websites.