Employee retention is one of the key issues facing businesses of all sizes. We know that turnover is expensive – two and a half times an employee’s annual salary – more for a managerial level employee. Many think money is the key motivated, but it isn’t. People leave their managers, not their companies. Do you conduct yourself in a professional manner or do you:
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Intimidate your employees – yell at people, throw tantrums in meetings, belittle people
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Take credit for what others do, never accept blame when things go wrong
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Micromanage, distrust people
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Betray confidences, gossip and spread rumors
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Constantly criticize, fail to praise your employee’s good work
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Withhold important information or resources for the success of the project, job, etc.
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Play favorites, inconsistently enforce policies and procedures
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Act superior – do not ask for other’s opinions or suggestions
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Set unreasonable deadlines
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Have poor communication skills, i.e. use humor inappropriately, swear, etc.
If you’ve answered “yes” to any of the above, it’s time to take stock of your behavior and resolve to make changes to more effectively manage your employees.
You can:
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Seek professional assistance if you have anger management issues.
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Take a leadership training seminar or class to learn appropriate managerial behaviors
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Live by the golden rule “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You!”
Don’t let negative behavior drive your valuable employees out of the company!
Lola – Great post and important questions you raise about one’s management style!
Your post has been selected as one of the “Rainmaker ‘Fab Five” Blog Picks of Week” and can be found here: http://www.maximizepossibility.com/employee_retention/2008/07/the-rainmaker-f.html
Keep the good stuff coming!
Chris Young
Lola –
This is a good list. The problem is, most managers don’t see themselves as “Ogres”. They see themselves as successful managers with maybe a few quirks. Unfortunately, what seems like “quirks” to them can be incredibly annoying to others and can stall their careers.
I’ve had a lot of success addressing some of these potential career killers by giving managers a copy of Marshall Goldsmith’s book, “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.”
It’s a fun, non-threatening, yet effective resource for managers.
This article seems being written by experts i guess.I am not employed but was able to experience sometime as a manager. Being too good or too bad is not good to the company. I think we shouldn’t overcriticize or overpraise anyone. To your boss or to your employee.
Thank you
Charles
http://www.resourcesandmoney.blogspot.com
Good tips. It is easy for fall into all of the above when things are going bad. And th irony is that is when you should do these things the most.
I am new to the site and I am enjoying every bit of it!!! Great information
My comment is this: Corruption within a company comes from the “Top Down”. I have noticed within my own company that upper management is complacent in their position. We have a new overseer and he is inexperienced therefore causing him to seek refuge in surrounding managers. There’s no problem with this except he is unable to deal with poor managment becasue he feeds off them. So others have to suffer as a result of his incompetence and fear. They want ideas to make a better workforce, but don’t want to look at themselves as part of the problem. Any time you tell a group of your employees that “this is not a demoracy” , and you refuse to compensate them for taking over more responsibilty, you have just cause your company a reduction in productivity and may even lose some good employees. Everyone knows who the boss is, there is no need to throw the weight around. I am frustrated in my position and bored due to upper managements ego’s and lack of knowing or refusing to utilize me to my full potential.
Cindy (frustrated employee)
I use the golden rule idea in my development programmes but I change it to “do unto others as they would have done to themselves”
Great post!