Why Workers Hate Their Bosses

Good help is hard to find. Good bosses are even harder to find. A new survey by Gallup finds that almost half of U.S. Workers have left a job to get away from their manager.

I’m not surprised. Are you? I’ve left a number of bad bosses, and I’m betting you have as well. Here are some of the many reasons workers hate their bosses.

Their manager is disengaged. Imagine going to work every day and having a boss who really doesn’t want to be there. Seems to be happening a lot these days.

The Gallup report, The State of the American Manager, showed 51% of U.S. managers are not engaged in their work, and another 14% are actively disengaged.

The lack of a manager’s interest is turning off employees. Many employees are becoming disengaged as well. Poor employee management is costing the U.S. up to $400 billion annually, Gallup reports.

Lack of talent for the job

Only about 10% of managers showed indicators that they could motivate every individual on their team, boldly review performance, build relationships, overcome adversity, and make decisions based on productivity. Gallup CEO Jim Clifton said in the report, “A manager with little talent for the job will deal with workplace problems through manipulation and unhelpful office politics.”

Imagine how dreadful it must be to work for a boss who is unable to effectively lead his or her team due to a lack of talent for the job. Hopeless is probably how many employees feel when faced with this situation. The only way to get relief is to leave.

Lack of passion

Many of us have worked for a boss whose passion for work came alive just around quitting time. Assignments were given as the boss was walking out the door. A good boss needs to be passionate about his job all day long to encourage workers to feel the same and give their best performance. A good boss’s passion is contagious.

Poor communication skills

It’s almost impossible to have a good working relationship with a boss who has poor communication skills. Workers never know where they stand, nor do they have all the information needed to be effective in their jobs. Leaders with poor communication skills make bad bosses and have difficulties retaining staff.

In the quest to quickly fill management roles, employers would be better served if they slowed down and were more selective when it came to hiring managers. Investing in the development of your leaders will dramatically reduce the number of positions you will need to hire due to employees fleeing their bosses.

? Matuson Consulting, 2017, All Rights Reserved.

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