A Manager’s Confession – It Takes Courage to Lead!

Why do people leave their job?

Not sure if the saying ‘employees leave their bosses and not their companies’ has become a cliche these days. The fact that many people over and over again told us the same, we kept saying it. A Gallup poll of more than a million employees in the US made us believe this idea. In times of despondency of the situation, for sure, the best ones leave first as they are sought after by others. No matter whether the under-performers leave or not, the ‘situation’ pains everyone. Most of the time staffs don’t leave their bosses but they leave the milieu that has been shaped. Sometimes it takes a lot of mettle for that ‘milieu’s manager’ to say I should have done a better job!

Here are some common perilous behaviours or acts of Managers that lay on the line ‘everything’ which are crucial to create that desired place to work (let me act out that manager’s confession here)

I attend meetings after meetings from morning to evening (...leaving my people behind):

I never found time for my employees to get their full commitment to what they do. I was shooting up to meetings which I thought ‘no one else in this world’ can attend except me – who always had to be there. I couldn’t trust anyone in the team to represent me in the meetings so I would have had some time with my team members. I didn’t have time to say ‘good morning!’ or just walk past my team members and ask ‘how is/was your day?’, ‘is all good with you?’ ‘Is your daughter doing well after hospital?’ They were right - I mean my team members. Why the hell on earth any of my team members should then think that ‘they were in good hands?’ Although as a late awakening, I realized - and all that was required was just a few minutes with my people every day, a smile, a pat on their back and just that.

I believed nothing could beat my emails (…helping me to get things done):

I write good English – short and long paragraphs, well-structured emails. I used to give instructions, tell people what they are supposed to do and what they shouldn’t. I write to them and holds team mates answerable for their tasks. If they fail, I reprimand them through my words, now and again throw my frustration on them. I thought I had the right to do that as I was their boss. I assumed everything will work and I will get things done. By the time I come back to my seat after my meetings and other engagements during the day, there used to be hardly anyone on the floor. I thought I was doing great and felt so fulfilled of myself as my boss see me every day sitting late at work. I had no clue that I was in the making of a worst performing team the organization ever had.

And all that was required was just a few minutes with my people every day, a smile, a pat on their back and just that.

I love being the boss (… that was such a fantastic feeling):

There used to be two groups to which my team belonged to – one that conforms to my ideas and get things done the way I want and the other - kids who thought they were so creative and offered me ideas to improve things around. They had the courage to offer me ‘better’ ideas that they thought were better and could challenge me, but I was more dauntless than them to turn those down. While they did some great job for our business, I didn’t like them. Needless to say this – within no time, I had the perfect team I wanted. The kids with ideas were gone by then.

Demanding business, demanding bosses. I was having a tough time. I had to juggle too many things and priorities to produce results & I missed a lot on my deadlines!

And all that was required was just a few minutes with my people, a smile, a pat on their back and just that.

I am sure this manager is not you or me. However -  

Have you met one of them in your career?

What do you think you will do if you were this manager’s boss?

What are those one or two things you would suggest this manager should do?

Why do you think this manager is the way he/she is?