I am one of the few lucky ones who can say I have a great manager.  They communicate well and help me succeed.  I can say however, I have had poor managers in my life.  We have all had a bad boss before, but is it really the top complaint among all employees?

Employees complain a little bit about everything, it is how we vent our frustration.  Sometimes it’s no parking, sometimes it’s bad coffee, but a new infographic says that the main complaint from employees all over is poor leadership and bad managers.  44% of people feel that they can’t go to their boss regarding personal or workplace issues.  33% of employees feel their boss is ineffective in the workplace, and causes collateral damage to their company.  This damage can be anything from high turnover, to lack of trust, and even as serious as lost revenue.  This is so serious that 4 of 10 employees have left employers due to the leader’s ineffectiveness.  This number skyrockets with sales personnel, jumping to 70% leaving a job because of a poor manager.

7 Habits of Bad Managers:

  • Covert and Uncommunicative – Having secret meetings and not communicating openly with employees creates an environment of fear and uncertainty.  Withholding information to create an advantage is one of the main traits of a bad manager
  • Angry and Emotional – A boss who lets his emotions take control of him is likely to force his employees to flee.  Stress and strain make workers find new jobs, and there is no quicker way to do that than a boss who yells and screams.  This doesn’t even have to be anger toward the employee, but showing volatile reactions over the phone or in emails that the employees can see causes environments of stress.
  • Indecisive – A manager who flip-flops on the faintest change of information is dangerous to the workplace.  This results in poor direction and unmotivated employees.
  • Mistrusting – A mistrusting boss will foster an uneasy atmosphere among staff.  Micromanaging every employee, especially with a suspicious attitude, will only demoralize staff and force them to look for a new job.
  • Antagonistic – We know negativity can stifle creativity, but delivering hostile remarks to employees or even remarks about customers or workers from other departments can demotivate and can cause stress.
  • Egotistic – Egotistical managers have to be right all the time, even at the expense of the people around them.  A boss who puts himself before the needs of his employees will make the team feel of little value.

Have you found a way to deal with your bad manager?  Let us know in the comments!