If you have read anything about employee engagement you will know that is commonly accepted that an employee's level of engagement is directly related to the relationship they have with their immediate manager.
In other words, we know that people don't leave companies, they leave managers! This can be hard for some managers to accept but until they do their efforts to engage their team will be wasted because no amount of free coffee or annual bonuses will ever replace the impact of a good manager on employee productivity.
So this raises the question: what sort of manager are you? Generally we answer this question by analysing the leadership style of the manager using well researched and psychologically validated descriptors. If you've had any type of leadership training you will know that the real answer to the question of what leadership style to use is "it depends on the situation".
But enough with the politically correct version of leadership. I want to talk to you about the reality. I want to talk about the sort of managers we should never be, but sometimes become without knowing it. My inspiration comes from a fun little book I came across this week called "50 bosses worse than yours" by Justin Racz. With his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, Justin takes us on a journey to the dark recesses of the workplace to reveal the underbelly of management. Here are samples of just a few of the characters he encounters:
- The Micromanager, an up and coming executive with her eyes on the corner office who is not about to let you mess that up for her.
- The M.B.A. who is well paid, overeducated and speaks in acronyms because he has no time to waste. He's an Excel and PowerPoint jockey with a license to manage.
- The Chair Chucker has work to do, some personal work. A large man with a short temper, he sublimates his childhood trauma with a strong throwing arm.
- By the book Betty, who can spot a fake expense claim a mile away and likes to count the number of toilet rolls used each week.
- The Memo-ist is a firm believer in leaving a paper trail. This cataloger of corporate codes and regulations knows the ins and outs of the office. Please refer all questions or concerns to her, per her earlier memo.
My reason for mentioning this? Without knowing it we can all exhibit these types of behaviours. I know that some of my friends and colleagues remind me that at times I can be the impatient, bossy type when I want something done and I want it done now! I don't set out to be like that but my intentions can be misconstrued just like some of these characters probably have good intentions that go astray.
So my advice to you is to see if you can recognise how your leadership style comes across to your staff and colleagues. Can you see any potential for your good intentions to become less than ideal behaviours? At the end of the day, when employees compare notes on their manager you don't want to be the person who comes out on top in the "my boss is worse than yours" comparison test.
Buy Karen Schmidt's Audio Seminar CD from the Resource Centre:
What It Takes To Engage The Generations At Work