You’ve probably heard the saying, “For every finger you point, there are three pointing back at you.” This is especially true in management. If team morale is low and resignations are piling up, it might be time to face an uncomfortable truth: you could be the problem. As a manager, your first responsibility is to recognize the warning signs before your best people head for the door—and, more importantly, understand why.
3 Costly Mistakes to Avoid
I’ve spent years analyzing HR data and observing patterns that lead to employee dissatisfaction and turnover. There are many reasons why people leave their managers, but for this article, I’m pointing out three key reasons why talented employees might be getting ready to pack. If you’re a manager, take a hard look at these common issues and see if any hit close to home.
1. You are a bully
Workplace bullying is not just toxic; it’s expensive. According to the 2021 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 30 percent of adult Americans are bullied at work, and 43 percent of remote workers are bullied. Shockingly, 65 percent of bullies are in management roles. Interestingly, 40 percent of all bullying targets are managers, with mid-level managers being targeted 18 percent of the time. Bullying is prevalent in hierarchical organizations as managers also have bosses.
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So, how do you know if you’re a bully rather than a tough but fair manager? A tough boss offers direct, constructive feedback designed to improve performance. A bullying boss, on the other hand, delivers destructive criticism meant to demean or intimidate employees, often attacking them personally rather than addressing the work.
The damage from this behavior is immense. Aggressive management tactics—whether verbal or physical—undermine workplace safety and force employees to spend their energy on survival rather than productive work.
2. You don’t offer positive feedback
Previous research published in Harvard Business Review involving nearly 8,000 managers found that close to 40% admitted they rarely, if ever, gave positive reinforcement.
This is a significant issue because the same study revealed that managers who offer positive feedback are more likely to be seen as effective and honest communicators by their direct reports.
Abundant research shows a strong connection between positive feedback and improved employee performance and a company’s financial success. For example, one study published in American Behavioral Scientist found that high-performing teams receive nearly six times more positive feedback than their less effective counterparts.
3. You don’t value work-life balance
Even though flexible work schedules and remote work are common these days, most managers still decide how much people work and when. This often means employees have to put their personal or family lives on the back burner. Many are working over 50 hours a week, barely taking a vacation, and being available for work all the time. This leads to serious health risks, like increased stress, poor sleep, and conflicts between work and other parts of life. A massive study conducted jointly by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Stefanos Zenios of Stanford University and Joel Goh of Harvard Business School found that long work hours were linked to higher rates of self-reported high blood pressure and unhealthy habits like smoking.