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Bad Managers are Costing You 73% of Your Employee Productivity
By Amy Potavin
This may come as a surprise but it is, unfortunately,
the reality. According to a recent Gallup study, only 29%
of the workers polled were actively engaged in their work.
And what, you're probably asking, exactly IS employee
engagement? That is a very good question, and simply
stated, it is the level of connection your employee has with
you, your company, and the work you have him perform.
The really scary information about this poll is the fact
that a full 59% of the workers polled by Gallup stated that
they were simply sleepwalking through their day. They were
showing up to work to put in their time, but felt no
connection with their companies, and therefore no remorse
over the fact that they were not performing to their full
ability.
On top of that, 14% of the workers polled actually said that
they were not only unhappy in their jobs, but that they were
ACTIVELY WORKING TO SABOTAGE the efforts of their
colleagues. These workers are actually showing up to work
just to COST YOU MONEY!
So, why is this happening? Well, according to Gallup
studies, a full 84% of people polled stated that they
believe business executives have, at best, mediocre
ethical standards (rating just above politicians, car
salesmen and telemarketers.) In addition, 20% of people
polled were dissatisfied with their immediate, front line
supervisor.
So it seems that the largest problem, by far, is BAD
MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS. Now it's your job to go find
them. To assist you in this quest, I have assembled a list
of the most common culprits. I guarantee you, there will be
at least one of these characters floating around your workplace.
ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE???
First up on the list is, of course, the "Bully." We all
remember this person from school, if not from the desk right next
to us. This manager is loud, obnoxious, over-bearing, often
angry, and leads only through intimidation. The "Bully" has
no respect for you, or your employees.
This creates an atmosphere of fear and suspicion. Your
employees do not know where they stand, and are probably
spending more time trying to cover their tracks (simply to
avoid getting yelled at) then performing meaningful work for
your organization.
E=mc2
Although the hallowed halls of science have a place for the
"Professor," the speed of business does not allow for such
analysis paralysis. This manager simply can not make a
decision unless ALL facts are accounted for and unless ALL
the information is perfect. It is impossible for the "Professor"
to trust anyone other then himself. Therefore, he forces
your employees to re-do their work over, and over, and over.
This does absolutely nothing except demotivate your
employees. They loose their autonomy and creativity. Worse
still, your employees begin to loose faith in their own
abilities because they can not seem to get anything right
for this manager. The question your employees start to ask
themselves is "Why am I even trying? I'm just going to have
to do it over anyway!"
YEE HAH!!! IT'S THE WILD, WILD, WEST!!!
Yessir, ladies and gentlemen; it's the "Gunslinger." As the
name might suggest, this manager shoots from the hip, and
once you are in his sights, your days are numbered. This
manager shoots to kill based only on gut reactions; without
regard to the consequences, or to the facts at hand.
Interestingly, this manager also ACTIVELY seek out
evidence to support his gut reactions, whether or not his
opinion is correct.
The problem with this manager is that your employees never
now who is next in his sights; so they have absolutely no
sense of stability. Therefore, your employees are more apt
to be working the rumor mill, rather than their actual work,
just so that they can create some sense of stability.
I WANNA BE A REAL LIVE BOY!
The favorite expression for this manager is "He's the Boss!"
therefore earning this manager the title of the "Puppet."
Typically, this manager is subservient to the "Gunslinger"
or the "Bully" but can be subservient to anyone in authority
if he is actually wimp enough.
The sad fact for this manager is that he will ATTEMPT to
make their opinions and observations known, but will
unfailingly back down in the face of righteous
confrontation. This creates distrust and uncertainty among
your employees because this manager will SPEAK what he thinks,
but will DO what the boss wants, whether or not he agrees.
Therefore, your employees, again, do not know where they stand
and will spend time, and energy, trying to figure that out rather
than working.
GOT BAIT???
The "Worm" is the hardest to find, and probably one of the
most dangerous. This manager is an expert manipulator and
rises up through the ranks not through their own expertise
and good works, but rather through the alliances they make.
Unfortunately, those alliances are usually made through personal
connections; such as being friends with the boss' wife.
This manager will have literally wormed their way into every
faction of your organization. And because the alliances ARE
personal in nature, the entire management team will have
lost their ability to be objective about the "Worm's"
talents, abilities, and contributions; leaving you all
vulnerable to the "Worm's" manipulations.
Unfortunately for you, your employees are smart. You see, the
truly dangerous aspect of this manager is the fact that your
employees SEE THAT YOU ARE BEING MANIPULATED!!! So, why on earth
would they want to follow a leader who can so easily be lead astray?
The answer is simply, they DON'T; and they WON'T follow you. Oh,
they will show up and collect their checks, but their
energies, ambitions, creativity, and innovations will be
spent elsewhere.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH!!!
Welcome to the big tent because this is the domain of the
"Ringmaster." This manager is the diva of the corporate
world and believes that EVERYTHING centers on him.
Because of this, the "Ringmaster" simply can not tolerate
competition in any form; even if it comes in the form of the
success of one of his subordinates. Rather than see a
colleague or subordinate successful (aka competitor) this
manager will sabotage that worker's efforts; even if it means
sacrificing that employee.
Unfortunately, this creates a sense of drama, distrust, and
anger among your employees. They see that there work is
sabotaged, or outright stolen, and are instantly
demotivated. Instead of trying again to get their
inspirations and ideas in the spotlight, your workers will
simply shut down and begin operating on auto-pilot.
WHO'S ON FIRST???
This manager could have given Lou Costello a run for his
money. The "Clown" has truly been promoted to the maximum
level of his incompetence. The sad truth about this manager
is that he could not lead a group of people out of a
paper bag with two hands and a flashlight!
Your employees need (and will) only ask one question:
"WHY?"
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Now that you have identified the culprits, you need to
determine are these qualities the predominant qualities of
your managers? If so, then you have some hard decisions to
make about your management team, and some drastic actions to
take. Are you ready to do anything about your bad managers?
The simple fact is that most people (84% of people polled in
fact) believe that you will do NOTHING! That is why most people
do not have faith in the ethical standards of business
executives. And though it might be easier for you to avoid
the confrontation and the disruption a change in managers will
cause, doing nothing will only serve to compound and validate
the majority opinion.
The bottom line is can you afford to loose 73% of your
employee's productivity? What do you think your stakeholders
would say?
Then what are you going to do about it?
(c) 2006 Amy M. Potavin
For more statistical information, see the Gallup Study at
http://gmj.gallup.com/content/default.aspx?ci=20770&pg=1.
About the Author
Believe-Network. Providing the means to discover your hidden talents and inspiring you to BELIEVE and SUCCEED. http://www.believe-network.com
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/33210.html
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