The effect of poor leadership
Breaching the rules, burn-outs, employee conflicts. It's increasingly difficult to create both a challenging and safe context for your team. While they want to contribute to your context and your company. By far the greatest challenge for a leader.
Although there are many reasons why employees leave, one is usually not expressed openly. Employees who leave because of you, their manager.
“People join companies and leave their bosses.”
The 8 most decisive complaints from employees about their boss
- 1. My boss is a tyrant
When, as a leader, you want to get work done by forcing people or exerting power, it results in positive behavior only when you are watching. This leadership style is outdated. Change your mindset and dare to loosen the reins. Underline the importance of their work and focus on the joint effort rather than the results. Discover here how to trust your team.
- 2. My boss takes decisions on his own
Where do you turn to when you want to improve work processes and internal execution? Right, to the people who are closest to the execution. If they are not recognised and feel passed over, this can lead to despondency and ultimately even to burn-out. Recognise the contribution of each team member in your company. Be aware that each employee is part of a strong link and they are all equal.
- 3. My boss is micromanaging me
We regularly encounter situations where leaders start to micromanage. This workplace dilemma is a good example. Once a team told me the following story. "Let's say we have a bus and our manager gives us the keys so we can drive ourselves. But at the same time he constantly hangs over our shoulders with remarks: "Now turn left!" "Watch out for that pole!" "Speed up and shift to third gear!" We are not allowed to decide WHAT we do, let alone HOW we do our job. As if we're little children." At that moment our alarm bells went off. The long-term effect is that people no longer dare to take responsibility. After all, it' s never good enough. Trust your people, you hired them because they convinced you of their expertise. Give them the freedom to show what they have to offer.
- 4. My boss is targeting me
Giving and receiving feedback is good, provided it is about the tasks and not the person. Try to zoom out regularly in a situation and don't immediately lay the blame on the other person. First look at yourself: Perhaps you didn’t formulate your message clearly enough?
- 5. My boss lacks a backbone
As counsellors, we often hear that agreed upon don't last. They get diluted over time. The cause? Managers who don't dare to address inappropriate behavior. By doing so, you create the impression they are allowed to lapse into old habits and you will not move forward. Follow rules meticulously and keep them in the spotlight. Every framework has a reason.
- 6. My boss has no long-term perspective
It’s so nice to commit to a higher purpose and consequently 'going the extra mile'! If that goal is not alive in the organisation, people just come for the transactional reason: a quid pro quo. They don't feel connected to your company. Give your staff something to aspire to. Make your vision transparent with clear and achievable milestones.
- 7. My boss never listens
You may not always notice that employees find your opinion crucial. When they make a point and you, as the boss or leader, don't even look up or don’t respond to the issue, they experience it as frustrating. Being heard is essential for an open relationship. Employees who don't feel heard hold back. And when energy and commitment drop, so does performance and effort. Take the time to listen and act on it.
- 8. My boss is invisible
Too busy with meetings, drawing outlines and checking figures? Little or no time to talk to your employees? Chances are you come across as being neither interested nor appreciative. If you need to get things done from your employees, you will automatically exert a certain amount of pressure. That brings us back to complaint number 1.. 😉
Do some complaints sound familiar of ring a bell? Are you eager to find out how to approach your leadership differently?
