No one is perfect, including managers. Even with the best intentions and the highest likeability, you will annoy your employees from time to time. It is not a secret that employees are vital to a successful business and happy customers. So you create processes, programs, rewards, and incentives to improve their engagement and job satisfaction. But, unfortunately, your efforts don’t have the effect you intended. Here are twenty secret things employees wish managers would stop doing that hurt morale, productivity, and job satisfaction.
Stop playing favorites
Managers have to maintain the perception that they treat everyone fairly. Some managers think they can befriend their employees, but it almost always backfires. Once employees start to believe you play favorites, it is game over. Employees secretly wish you’d stop playing favorites and treat everyone fairly.
Stop slacking off
Some people become managers so they can stop working hard. As a result, they get lazy and delegate their work to their employees. Employees secretly wish their managers would stop slacking off and work as hard as they do. When your employees feel they work harder than you do, they lose respect for you and motivation to keep working hard.
Stop talking about your personal problems
Employees aren’t your friend, and they aren’t your psychologist either. Don’t air your dirty laundry to your employees because they don’t want to hear about your relationship, finances, or child issues. Employees secretly wish their managers would stop consuming their time with non-work-related issues.
Stop gossiping
Employees need to trust their managers, and the fastest way to erode that trust is by betraying their confidence. As a result, employees secretly wish their managers would stop gossiping and respect employee privacy. Even more, employees don’t want a manager who fosters a culture of gossip.
Stop saying how busy you are
Employees need support, and they need your time. When you consistently miss one-to-ones, are impossible to reach, and frequently don’t show up to scheduled meetings, you are failing at your job. Employees secretly wish you’d stop bragging about how busy you are and instead make time for them.
Stop ignoring obvious performance gaps
There is a saying that twenty percent of your employees do eighty percent of the work. Employees secretly wish you would stop allowing underperforming coworkers to go unaddressed. By allowing mediocre performance to continue means, others have to pick up the slack. As a result, morale plummets.
Stop being a hypocrite
Some managers operate under the do as I say, not as I do approach. They demand their employees be on time while they show up late. Managers come to work looking sloppy while employees are sent home to change. Employees secretly wish their managers would stop being a hypocrite. Instead, they want a role model they can admire.
Stop being absentminded
It is easy to forget things, but when your absentmindedness is consistent, there are issues. As a result, employees secretly wish their managers would stop forgetting what they assigned to who and what they have accomplished. Otherwise, you are telling your employees your assignments and their work don’t matter.
Stop scapegoating employees
Some managers walk around never accepting accountability. Instead, they continuously point their finger at their employees. Employees secretly wish their managers would stop using them as a scapegoat when things go wrong. Instead, they want a culture of ownership and accountability.
Stop being unresponsive
Employees secretly wish their managers would stop making them ask questions or make requests multiple times. It makes them feel ignored and unimportant. Instead, give them a response even if the answer is “I’m still working on it.”
Stop being MIA during a crisis
When the stakes are high and all hands are on deck, employees secretly wish their managers wouldn’t disappear. When you show up next to your employees to pitch in during a crisis, you earn their respect, and they will want to work harder for you. Disappear, however, and they will wonder why they are trying so hard.
Stop not hearing them
Employees secretly wish their managers would stop not hearing them. They know when you aren’t paying attention. Even more, now that so many teams are remote, they can see when you start multi-tasking because the light from your monitor changes the color of your face. Multi-tasking during the one-to-one or when your employee is delivering a presentation is rude and disrespectful.
Stop saying yes to your boss without understanding the impact
Your boss is a visionary and has big ideas that you always say yes to, but you leave it to your employees to figure out how to deliver. Employees secretly wish you would stop saying yes to everything and leaving it up to them to figure out how to make it work.
Stop setting unclear expectations or frequently changing them
When employees don’t know what success looks like or the goal post frequently changes, it is hard for them to feel job satisfaction. Employees secretly wish you would stop setting unclear expectations so they can feel successful.
Stop fighting with your peers or boss
Employees secretly wish their managers would stop fighting with their peers or boss because it makes it challenging to get the resources they need from other teams. As a result, it is harder for them to complete the tasks that require cooperation from other departments.
Stop having poor communication
Employees secretly wish their managers would stop the poor communication. When you only communicate to some team members or communicate half the information, the team can’t be on the same page. Even worse, reprimanding someone for something that wasn’t broadly communicated is demotivating.
Stop looking out for your own interests
Employees secretly wish their managers would stop looking out for their own self-interests above the team. Managers work for their team, not the other way around. Employees won’t feel cared for or valued when you are focused on your career above theirs or only talking about your life and interests.
Stop avoiding your employees
Employees secretly wish their managers would stop avoiding them. If their performance is slipping, they start to miss work, or are showing up to meeting distracted, don’t avoid them, and hope things improve.
Stop tying their hands with process constraints
Employees secretly wish their managers would stop assuming the employee is failing and instead look at the process. Organizations unintentionally build processes without realizing how those processes create unnecessary constraints. As a result, the constraints stop employees from doing their job effectively.
Stop disrespecting their tenure
Employees secretly wish their managers would stop disrespecting their tenure. Tenure used to be a badge of honor for employees, and managers respected historical knowledge. However, when tenure isn’t valued, and historical knowledge is discarded, loyalty cannot grow.
Do you secretly wish your manager would stop doing something that isn’t on my list? Add your comments below.
