Bad Management: 6 Ways It Affects The Workplace
With Halloween right around the corner, people are gearing up to decorate their houses with the scary staples of the season: spooky pumpkins, witches, skeletons, ghosts, and the like. And speaking of things that make the hairs on the back of our necks stand up, there is one thing that remains terrifying all year round: bad bosses. Timid or angry, overbearing or indifferent, experienced or rookies, we've all had that one manager that made our work days…less than ideal. In this article, we explore 6 unsettling facts about bad management and its effects on employees.
What Makes A Manager…Bad?
Let's start by saying that not all managers are bad and, certainly, not all bad managers are doing it on purpose. Leaders of companies of any size carry immense responsibility on their shoulders and are expected to be able to manage a heavy workload, be innovative, attract new customers, and effectively manage their teams, all at the same time. This could lead to them getting overworked and overwhelmed and straying off the path of a good leader. In any case, these are only some of the behaviors that could lead to a manager being characterized as bad:
- Poor communication skills
- Being overly critical
- Not keeping their word
- Poor crisis management
- Micromanaging
- Being a bad team player
6 Facts About Bad Management You Need To Know About
When managers become the boogeymen of the office, a lot of things can go wrong on a daily basis. Although employees don't lay awake at night in fear of them—most of the time—bad bosses can impact their teams in multiple ways. Here are some of the effects of poor management skills.
1. Low Employee Retention
The first thing one will notice at a workplace where bad management is present is high turnover rates. Seeing as work takes over about a third of our lives, it's no wonder people prefer to change jobs than continue collaborating with a supervisor that rarely seems satisfied. This creates a vicious cycle of understaffed businesses and overworked employees who quickly move once they get the opportunity.
2. Poor Mental Health And Increased Sick Days
Employees who choose to remain at their jobs despite problematic leadership are left to deal with the consequences on their well-being. Feeling overworked and underappreciated for extended periods of time can lead to employee burnout, a phenomenon that affects a person's mental as well as physical health. As a result, burnt-out employees end up taking more sick days, which puts additional stress on other employees and takes a toll on the general productivity levels of the organization.
3. Decreased Productivity
And speaking of productivity, it's important to remember that fear tactics and bullying won't make your employees work harder. On the contrary, being constantly on edge and feeling insecure about their professional future doesn't allow employees to perform their best and add value to their company. Not to mention that employees slowly become disengaged and only make minimal effort.
4. Compensation Loses Its Appeal
A very important fact about bad management that you need to remember is that compensation and perks can only accomplish so much. Although employees appreciate being properly compensated for their time and effort, research shows that they would often prefer to see a change in management than a raise. Therefore, it might be wiser to invest in leadership training rather than a pizza party.
5. Lack Of Recognition
Another element of bad management is denying employees of deserved recognition. In fact, bad managers are very quick to criticize their teams for their mistakes or shortcomings but very reluctant to celebrate an achievement. Lack of recognition, in the form of either words or actions, causes employees to live in constant fear of making a mistake. In addition, they lose their motivation and willingness to go the extra mile since they won't receive any type of reward.
6. Ill-Suited Hiring Decisions
Something that managers with poor leadership skills do is try to build themselves up at the expense of their team. An example of that would be choosing to hire employees with minimal skills and experience, not because they want to help them grow but because they won't outshine them or question their authority. Consequently, these new employees will make more on-the-job mistakes, thus impacting the productivity and efficiency of the team.
Conclusion
Clearly, bad management can be very detrimental to your company's culture and the well-being of your employees. The facts we described in this article create a hostile work environment that becomes a constant source of anxiety for employees, keeping them from performing well and achieving maximum efficiency. If you have noticed any of these situations in your workplace, take quick action before your office turns into a ghost town.
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