Valuing a Good Manager? People Leave Managers Not Companies

The Value of A Good Manager? People Leave Managers Not Companies

What's the value of a good manager? "People leave managers, not companies" is a headline that immediately grabs our attention. Or it should if we're serious about being good managers. Why is that? Well, probably because it has a ring of truth about it. Whilst there may be many things we dislike about our jobs, the relationship between managers and employees is arguably the most critical. Employees who are well managed can forgive many of an organisation's shortcomings. When people are badly managed, there can be unhappiness, reduced efficiency and high staff turnover. When we resign, we often leave poor managers, not the organisation.

In his book: The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilised Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't (left), Stanford Professor Bob Sutton spells out the damage poor managers can do to workplace morale and efficiency. This article elaborates on his theme, highlighting the crucial relationship between staff and management in maintaining workplace harmony and productivity.

The Most Disliked Aspect Of A Job?

This section heading comes from an article based on research carried out by Gallup. Put simply their findings revealed that employees leave managers, not companies. Worse still for the manager, one in six respondents identified their manager or supervisor as the most disliked aspect of their job. That’s right the most disliked!

In another survey, Gallup asked employees about their happiness when spending time with other people. Unsurprisingly, spending time with the boss was the least desirable choice. What then does a good manager do? As ever, start by asking the right questions.

For The Staff - What Really Matters?

What would employees like from their managers? Gallup suggests that good management-staff relationships rest on four foundations. Employees would like:

Managers who show care, interest and concern for their staff
To know what is expected of them
A role which fits their abilities
Positive feedback and recognition regularly for work well done

Gallup found that teams rating their managers highly in these four areas also scored highly on productivity and profitability. If this is the case, what are we doing to ensure that managers are developed appropriately?

The wrong things, evidently. Gallup's findings indicate that organisations often focused on control, co-ordination and correction in their management development. This rather than the care, concern and encouragement elements of management, more highly valued by staff.

For The Manager - Do People Want To Work With You?

The Gallup survey raises what should be an obvious point - managers make a critical difference to the workplace. As managers, how we choose to make that difference is up to us. Good management is not a popularity contest, but managers are people too! Nobody wants to come last in the popularity stakes! However these findings are not about popularity, they're about positive, practical approaches to management. What do you do next? Take some time to ask yourself: "how do I measure up to Gallup's "four foundations"? It may be a difficult question to answer, certainly requiring some honest reflection, but certainly one worth asking. Then ask yourself:

Do I demonstrate care, concern and interest?

Am I clear in talking through what's expected of my staff?

Are people working to their strengths? Do I provide support where staff are stretched? Am I proactive in this?

How often do I provide positive feedback and encouragement? It’s far too easy to notice the negative and feedback on this.

Am I creating the conditions where people want to work with me?

For The Organisation - Do Your Managers Really Matter?

If you have responsibility for developing managers, the critical question is "what can you do to ensure your employees want to work with your managers"? Why is this a critical question? Because the Gallup research suggests that good staff/manager relationships are fundamental to staff retention, efficiency and effectiveness. And if this is so, the relationship you have with your managers is equally critical.

Here are some steps to consider:

Be a role model for the managers you manage, and for your peers.
Appoint carefully: managers really matter. They can do a lot of good, and a lot of damage.
Make sure you put development in place that promotes and values effective managers.
Review the way managers are developed in your organisation.
Do you demonstrate care, concern and encouragement?

One Final Critical Question.....

Peter Drucker tells a story worth including here. He once asked the former head of a very large, world wide organisation:

“What do you look for in placing the right people into the right places in an organisation?”

The old man, who had been famous for doing just that replied:

“I always ask myself, would I want one of my sons to work under that person?”

Become a manager people really want to work with! More inspirational Drucker quotes can be found in our article: Peter Drucker Quotes: Wisdom From The Giant Of Giants , or in a "must buy" book for every good manager:

The Daily Drucker - 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done

If you found this article useful or thought provoking, you might like to read What Makes A Happy Company.

Click here for our free "People Leave Managers" pdf download

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