The one employee benefit no one is talking about
PEOPLE LEAVE MANAGERS, NOT COMPANIES!
Given how much dependency is on managers, it’s not surprising that the huge amount of evidence shows they affect your job satisfaction and decisions to leave. The real reasons for turnover usually point squarely back to their manager. Today we look at the evidence for why people leave managers, not companies.
Managers are the following:
- A major influence on your work and priorities
- The critical advocate
- In the best position to resolve issues & challenges you
- You interact with on a daily basis
The effects of a bad manager:
Having a bad manager often leaves employees feeling miserable while at work, and that misery follows them home, compounding their stress and putting their well-being in peril. Your company would not promote smoking or other bad practises that are scientifically linked to health problems- so being or having a bad manager undermines all efforts to improve employee health and well-being.
What a content employee looks like:
Happy, healthy employees mean a better culture and a more productive, profitable company. they love their jobs and spread the word- setting the company up for more talent! Most companies don’t currently think about great managers as a ‘benefit’ and it’s a huge missed opportunity. To attract the best employee talent, every company should show great managers as part of their employee value.
So, companies need to devote more attention to promoting and developing good managers and then start letting the world know they have these good managers. Company culture is everything, as it ultimately tells others your values and reputation.
Here are the top characteristics of a great manager:
- Motivate every employee individually
- Coach and develop people by focusing on their strengths
- Engage employees with a compelling vision
- Build trust
- Show gratitude for employee productivity
What managers are missing…
How do you build strong lines of communication? By making it a priority!
The best way to prioritise communication is to regularly schedule a time for it. If you don’t already have one-to-ones already, you should start. Schedule in around 30 minutes every month to meet with each person on your team individually, your employees will feel like they can communicate with you without feeling rushed and it’s more personal. As LinkedIn’s cofounder wrote, it’s important for managers to sit down with their team members and lay out a path for growth.
Conclusion, it’s you!
If you are a manager or a team leader, this should excite you. You have a tremendous amount of respect and control over the motivation and retention of your team. No company has ever had a great culture of leadership and management by accident.