Weak Management Demoralizes Everyone
Posted by Mitch Mitchell on Apr 14, 2011
If there's anything I can't stand hearing about, it's stories about management level people who don't know how to treat employees like adults.
These are the types who ask employees to do something and then when they do it and find out that those above them don't like it they act like the employees did it out of spite instead of being asked to do it.
These are the types who are afraid to address one particular employee for bad behavior and instead decide to address everyone in broaching the subject, all the while trying to hide behind that ultimate lie of "we are handling issues in privacy".
These are the types that never learn the job that their employees are doing, yet have the nerve to dictate to them how they should be doing what they're doing, what their production should be, and what they should know.
These are the types that ask you what's wrong, and when you tell them they don't like it, but if you stay silent they get mad at you for not sharing anything.
These are the types that expect everyone to know everything by osmosis because they can't be bothered to help train anyone on how to do their jobs properly, even though the job performance of the employee will eventually fall on the shoulders of the manager, who will then blame the employee for being inept.
These are the types that are up one day and down the next, the types where you have absolutely no idea what mood they're going to be in from minute to minute, but whatever happens it's the employees fault.
These are the types that automatically assume their employees are wrong whenever someone else complains, no matter what it is, without any regard to what policy might be or how their employees will perceive the spineless behavior.
Who wants to work for these people? Is it any wonder that so many employees in today's world move around so much? Is it any wonder that there are a lot of people trying to find something they can do on their own to get away from people like this?
Who has dealt with management like this? Who sees themselves in any of these scenarios (I doubt you'll call yourself out of you do, but I hope you'll change the behavior if it fits)? Who here is in management, sees themselves in one of these scenarios, and hasn't purchased my book Embrace The Lead yet, or requested management training yet?
Who's going to be the first one to step up to the plate and help reverse this cycle of weak management?
For the most part, weak management will stay in place regardless of all the problems you list. I didn’t met many businesses ready to get rid of bad managers, and when it happens, it’s always met with astonishment, as the event is extraordinary and not just a logic step to take in an ever more competitive world. Bad management ruins a business far more than a bad employee can, as it corrupts the whole environment and not just a part of the production process.
The only hope is for bad managers to be so bad they are actually noticed by the executives, and for them to actually be willing to do something to fix the situation.
True Gabriele, but that just doesn’t seem to happen. Upper management acts like the problem will go away so they abrogate their responsibilities as well. The cycle continues, employees aren’t happy, then when they leave people seem confused because they couldn’t see how bad they were.
A strong management is the backbone of a strong company. Without a strong manager, the company will surely fall to pieces. Remember what Watson said? “A man is known by the company he keeps. A company is known by the men it keeps.”
Actually Suzie, that’s the first time I’ve seen this quote; I’m assuming you’re talking Watson from Sherlock Holmes, which I’ve never read or even seen a single movie of. But I like it; thanks.