Boost employee experience by reeling in killjoy managers

Many organizations are making big tech investments to more closely link their people to each other, to customers, and to other stakeholders.

But too many companies still struggle because, frankly,  their culture tolerates too many killjoy managers.

It’s a big problem. Most employees intrinsically seek joy. But it really only takes one or two killjoys in a stable full of great managers to take all the fun out of work.

So, if you’re looking for ways to boost your employee experience by helping people be happy, here are 10 things that killjoy managers do — that you want to get them to STOP doing.

Ordering people around

Managers who do this won’t have people to order around for long because no one likes being treated like a peon and will leave for greener pastures.

Humiliating employees in public

Along the same line, scolding employees in front of other employees is bad for morale and creates turnover.

No one likes to be publicly humiliated if they make a mistake. Pull the person aside and privately discuss the issue.

Making threats

I’m not talking about threatening to kill them, but rather threatening them with their jobs. It’s not professional, and it makes you appear weak instead of strong.

Throwing tantrums

You’d think that by the time people achieve management status they’d be all grown up. But that’s not always the case.

While some people may appear to have reached adulthood, in reality, they’re just spoiled brats who throw fits when they don’t get their way.

That’s not cool in a professional environment, and it won’t garner respect or loyalty from staff.

Not pitching in

The best managers lead by example, not by command.

In other words, they never ask their staff to do things they aren’t willing to do themselves.

Managers who behave like certain tasks are beneath them will never have a staff willing to go the distance for them.

Breaking promises

Vague promises of grandeur may work for a little while to keep employees where they are, but in time they see through the fuzzy details and the deadlines that keep getting extended.

When they do, the boss-employee relationship is damaged beyond repair and the employee moves on to bigger and definitely better opportunities.

Reminding people who’s in charge

A lot of bad bosses feel the need to remind people on their staff they’re in charge, more important and better than they are. It’s the classic “I’m Boss and You’re Not” approach.

Reason: They’re insecure, unhappy and have low self-esteem. They feel the need to put others down and keep them there so they themselves get the attention and validation they need. Someone who’s happy and secure doesn’t need that validation. They want to share the limelight and see their staff succeed.

Taking credit for other’s work

There are some managers who take credit for everything their staff does and then blame them when things go wrong. Why? Typically, it’s because they have way too much pride and/or they lack courage.

Great managers don’t accept credit for other people’s successes and when things go wrong they accept responsibility, whether it was their staff’s fault or theirs.

Great managers provide guidance and focus for their staff so they won’t fail.

Dishonesty

No good relationship, professional or personal, is ever based on lies.

Managers who lie to their staffs will lose their trust quickly and will struggle to achieve goals.

When your staff doesn’t trust you, they question everything that’s asked of them and don’t give you 100% of their effort.

Playing favorites

Great managers treat all their employees fundamentally the same.

Playing favorites makes the people who aren’t the “preferred” ones feel neglected and unappreciated.

And if you don’t appreciate them, why should they work hard for you?

End result: The demoralized employee stops performing to the best of his or her ability or, the more likely scenario, the person leaves for good.