Managing a workforce isn’t easy. You have to meet your company’s needs while also meeting the needs of your staff—a delicate and difficult balance to strike, especially in the ever-changing landscape of new technologies and hybrid office models.
No matter how much things change, the foundation of a functional workplace still comes down to one age-old aspect: relationships. Our recent survey at Quality Logo Products found that, of the 1,000 professionals surveyed, 2 in 3 say their relationships with their bosses are more important to their job satisfaction than any other workplace relationship, pointing to the impact that building good connections with your team can have.
So, how do you build great relationships with your employees? If answering this question seems difficult, then you’re in luck—our survey gave us valuable insights into what managerial habits separate the good bosses from the bad ones from employees’ point of view.
In this article, we’ll go over the top five managerial habits to avoid and five ways you can work toward building positive, reliable, and effective relationships in the workplace.
Top 5 Bad Managerial Habits
To get a picture of what makes a bad boss, we asked the employees in our survey about what attributes made their bosses difficult to work with. Here are the top five habits that employees associate with bad bosses, ranked by what they dislike the most (from lowest to highest).
5. Blaming employees when things go wrong (71% of respondents)
When something goes wrong at work, it’s tempting to shift the blame to your staff or another factor instead of taking it on yourself. However, shirking responsibility for setbacks can damage your credibility with your team and even encourage them to rebel, especially if you place the blame on them.
4. Creating a hostile or competitive team work environment (72%)
You may think negative feedback is a good motivator, but most employees feel otherwise. Fear of consequences like losing their jobs or getting edged out by a coworker will only keep your employees’ performance high for so long. In the long term, it wears down morale, and they’ll be looking for a less stressful place to work.
3. Micromanaging their work (75%)
While it’s critical to stay on top of your employees’ work, it’s just as important to trust that they know how to do their jobs. Being too involved in what your employees do not only takes time and attention away from your big-picture responsibilities but also makes your staff feel like they don’t have enough autonomy in the workplace.
2. Communicating poorly (76%)
For any workplace to function, good communication is key. If your employees can’t get in touch with you when they need to or don’t have a clear sense of your needs and expectations, they won’t know how to focus their time and effort, thus leading to inefficiency in the department and frustration among your staff.
1. Talking down to them (78%)
The worst offender on our list, condescension from bosses is something employees dislike the most. Yes, being a boss means you’re technically above your staff, but you’re still a part of the team. And for your department to meet its goals, you need every team member to participate. You couldn’t do it without them.
Talking down to your employees or belittling them is hurtful and demoralizing. It’s a behavior that might drive them to quit or, if they stay, cause their job performance to suffer.
5 Ways to Correct Bad Managerial Habits
Now that we’ve gone over what bad bosses do, let’s talk about how the good ones act in the workplace.
If you’ve relied on any of the bad managerial habits in the past, it’s not too late to make a change. Try adjusting your management style with some of these next five behaviors, ranked by what employees like best (again, from lowest to highest).
5. Give constructive feedback (75% of respondents)
Creating a positive work environment doesn’t mean avoiding criticism entirely—it just means that the feedback you give is constructive. In fact, good feedback is an important tool in the workplace, helping make performance expectations clear and encouraging employee investment.
Over one in five of the professionals we surveyed said their bosses are currently giving poor feedback, which could be hurting their job performance. Giving feedback that makes note of what your employees do right, as well as where they could improve, ensures they feel recognized and can refine their work.
4. Listen thoughtfully (79%)
When problems arise at work, your employees want to feel like they can go to you for guidance. Listening and responding to them thoughtfully not only helps them feel heard but also helps you address workplace issues more effectively, which only increases the productivity of your department.
3. Respect their opinions (83%)
Employees who feel respected in their jobs typically are more invested in their workplace. You don’t have to make every change your employees suggest, but hearing them out can help you identify key gaps in your current operations, strategize to make your workplace more effective, and encourage employee participation.
2. Communicate clearly (88%)
Whether it’s about what they should be working on, whether their performance is up to par, or how they can improve, your employees want to be in the know. Put simply, it’s easier to work when you know what you’re working toward.
Making your needs, expectations, and company directives as clear as possible banishes any doubt that your employees know what they should be doing or are spending their time wisely. Clearly defined goals keep your staff more engaged and productive.
1. Treat them fairly (91%)
Nearly all the professionals we surveyed named fair treatment as the number one quality they want in a boss. When employees feel they’re being treated unfairly, they’re less likely to be engaged and productive at work and more likely to quit. Fair treatment not only makes them feel comfortable but also gives the impression that your company cares about its employees and will reward their hard work.
Conclusion
With all the responsibilities you have, it might be hard to find the time or head space to think about your management style, but your managerial habits can make or break your relationship with your team.
If you’re struggling with how to manage your staff, try breaking your bad managerial habits with some of our strategies. Your department’s key performance indicators will thank you!
Alyssa Mertes is Lead Copywriter at Quality Logo Products.