The Predictive Index People Management Study recently asked 5,000 employees to identify the qualities of a bad manager. The following are the top ten traits they identified:
- Poor communicator
- Plays favorites
- Shows little concern for employees’ career and personal development
- Badmouths people behind their backs
- Isn’t open or interested in feedback
- Wants to prove him or herself right
- Isn’t self-aware
- Betrays trust
- Doesn’t listen
- Puts his or her needs first
The study then drilled down on the impact of a good vs. bad managers on employee retention.
It uncovered that 63% of those with bad managers are thinking of leaving their company within the next 12 months. For those with good managers, only 27% are considering quitting.
The study also focused on manager burnout – the last act of the stress cycle represented by emotional exhaustion, physical fatigue, and cognitive weariness. Participants were asked whether their managers seemed burned out. 36% of the respondents felt that their manager seemed burned out. Of those who said that their manager is burned out, 58% are considering quitting. It is interesting to note that teams are far more likely to feel burned out when their managers do. Of respondents with burned-out managers, 73% also stated that they were burned out compared to just 22% with managers who were not burned out. Left unaddressed, this burnout won't just impede manager effectiveness -- it'll cause employees to quit. If you are a stoic leader who is attempting to push through burnout, you may inadvertently cause irreparable damage to yourself and your team.