We’ve spent some time discussing the price paid when a manager hires someone wrong for a job — we know the potentially devastating effects. But what happens when the person unfit for the position is the boss? It’s the next step in the process; if people are promoted or placed in positions where they manage others but aren’t great leaders, it can have a widespread impact.
What happens when it’s the big boss – the manager – who’s unfit?
According to an Inc.com 2018 poll, a staggering 76% of workers think they have a “toxic boss.” So, what does that mean for the company? A 2015 Gallup study found that 50% of people leave a job to get away from their manager to improve their overall life at some point in their careers. So, promoting or placing one wrong person can have ripple effects far beyond the immediate department.
When the person in charge is a horrible manager, team morale suffers while company production and income plummet. If a very large group of subordinates is involved, there may be scores of miserable workers functioning on autopilot, commiserating, or threatening to leave en masse. And it can be even worse for small departments where angry underlings may feel so powerless they suffer in silence or mask their growing unhappiness with frequent illnesses and absences.
Unfortunately, bad managers can come deceivingly packaged as good ones. They may display what looks like desirable traits — a friendly disposition, authoritative stance, accommodating attitude, and desire to succeed — but none of these ensure management strategies that will be beneficial to a specific team.
Some of the seemingly most ideal managers can do the most harm.
4 Mistakes Every Bad Manager Makes:
- Treats every worker the same way
- Focuses on weaknesses
- Micromanages
- Fails to fit the right person to the right job
Treats Every Worker the Same Way
One of the most common mistakes bad managers make is to neither recognize nor capitalize on each employee’s unique differences. These managers consciously paint everyone with the same wide brush (perhaps thinking this is the equitable thing to do) and all but eliminate any chance for personalities to set themselves apart and bring their individual talents to the team. Most employees who are all treated the same way eventually start feeling unappreciated, misunderstood, and overlooked.
For example, more assertive employees will jump at the chance to assume additional responsibilities or exercise their power. They need managers willing to assign extra duties and develop any potential leadership skills quickly. Passive workers, on the other hand, prefer to stay in the background. A manager who adds assignments more gradually and takes the upper hand will keep these more prudent workers on board.
Recognizing different traits and different needs, then managing them correctly is important not only to the work environment but to the overall productivity and livelihoods of those working within the company.
Focuses on Weaknesses
Bad managers often get caught up in what workers can’t do instead of what they can do. They also talk brazenly about how they’d like to change people. However, identifying these “problem areas” does nothing to motivate improvement or skill growth when there are no solutions. Poor managers skip the work of uncovering what really motivates an individual and miss out on opportunities to benefit from innate talent and specific strengths.
For example, rather than growing frustrated with a worker who takes her time and prefers routine, good managers will use this person for repetitive tasks or tedious tasks. Chatty employees enjoy talking to people; good managers appreciate their social skills and routinely funnel client relations roles or telemarketing calls their way.
When good managers uncover someone’s natural assets, they can more readily devise opportunities to help the person increase these skills.
Because one of the managers’ primary responsibilities is to motivate and develop staff and offer managers extensive training to understand human behaviors better. Consider having the whole team take behavioral assessments to see how they may interact and identify strengths and weaknesses. Ensure the person in charge of any size staff can be flexible enough to share at least some common ground with every team member.
Micromanages
Most workers are happiest if allowed to have at least some say in determining their own path when accomplishing objectives. They’ll want a varying amount of oversight from the boss, depending on their specific level of self-confidence and individual desire to take some calculated risks.
Good managers explain the ground rules to everyone then decide which workers might want extra guidance and which don’t. Self-directing team members need chances to devise their own methods, improvise, and learn from their mistakes. A manager’s worst actions are to hover over them, tether them to stringent rules, and become a constant presence in their day. Of course, a general agreement on goals is in order and adherence to checkpoints or KPIs (key performance indicators) for feedback. Still, scrutiny of everyday actions and responses can make good; self-sustaining subordinates feel their manager doesn’t trust them.
More cautious workers will want extra feedback from and interaction with their boss. Functioning as a resource and giving advice when asked can boost lower levels of confidence. Provide clear instructions, backup, and reassurance that you know they can do the job. Monitor progress and provide input, but don’t do so to excess. Keep in mind that even the most fearful, self-doubting worker needs some room in which to breathe!
Consider rewarding managers who develop the abilities of others to perform on their own and meet personal goals.
Fails to Fit the Right Person to the Right Job
Any worker mistakenly placed in an ill-suited role will struggle, fail to meet expectations, and likely seek employment elsewhere sooner or later. Good managers know their team members’ personalities and place each one in a role designed to play into their innate talents and interests. They set them up for success instead of for failure.
Not everyone can function in high-stress situations. Not everyone can lead. And not everyone can withstand others’ critiques or nasty remarks.
Be sure the workers hired to be collectors exhibit the levels of assertiveness, tenacity, and resilience that the job requires. On the other hand, your behind-the-scenes researchers probably need an analytical mind, a penchant for details, and, perhaps, the ability to work alone for extended periods of time.
There are also environmental conditions to consider before promoting an employee or hiring someone new. Is the person you have in mind for the job apt to fit in with the existing team? Might there be generational issues to address? A more mature worker, for example, could have trouble taking direction from someone young enough to be a grandchild. And eager new graduates may expect fast promotions, immediate answers, or big rewards for their efforts.
Knowing who’s right for a job limits the risk of mutual misunderstandings, arguments, disappointments, and regrets.
Today, the typical workplace employs a wide range of individuals who are not only from various generations but also of different perspectives, cultures, backgrounds, and economic levels. With such an eclectic collection of sometimes conflicting personalities, it’s more important than ever that managers know how to correctly read people, trigger hot buttons, and adapt to changing needs.
Are all the managers on your team fit to do the job?
