This ma.come as a surprise but it is, unfortunately, the reality. According to a recent Gallup study, only 29% of the workers polled were actively engaged in their work. And what, you're probably asking, exactly IS employee engagement? That is a very good question, and simply
stated, it is the level of connection your employee has with you, you.company, and the work you have him perform.
The really scary information about this poll is the fact that a full 59% of the workers polled by Gallup stated that they were simply sleepwalking through their day. They were showing up to work to put in their time, but felt no connection with thei.companies, and therefore no remorse over the fact that they were not performing to their full ability.
On top of that, 14% of the workers polled actually said that they were not only unhappy in their jobs, but that they were ACTIVELY WORKING TO SABOTAGE the efforts of their colleagues. These workers are actually showing up to work just to COST YOU MONEY!
So, why is this happening? Well, according to Gallup studies, a full 84% of people polled stated that they believe business executives have, at best, mediocre ethical standards (rating just above politicians, car salesmen and telemarketers.) In addition, 20% of people polled were dissatisfied with their immediate, front line supervisor.
So it seems that the largest problem, by far, is BAD MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS. Now it's your job to go find them. To assist you in this quest, I have assembled a list of the mos.common culprits. I guarantee you, there will be at least one of these characters floating around your workplace.
ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE???
First up on the list is, of course, the "Bully." We all remember this person from school, if not from the desk right next to us. This manager is loud, obnoxious, over-bearing, often angry, and leads only through intimidation. The "Bully" has no respect for you, or your employees.
This creates an atmosphere of fear and suspicion. Your employees do not know where they stand, and are probably spending more time trying to cover their tracks (simply to avoid getting yelled at) then performing meaningful work for your organization.
E=mc2
Although the hallowed halls of science have a place for the "Professor," the speed of business does not allow for such analysis paralysis. This manager simply can not make a decision unless ALL facts are accounted for and unless ALL the information is perfect. It is impossible for the "Professor" to trust anyone other then himself. Therefore, he forces your employees to re-do their work over, and over, and over.
This does absolutely nothing except demotivate your employees. They loose their autonomy and creativity. Worse still, your employees begin to loose faith in their own abilities because they can not seem to get anything right for this manager. The question your employees start to ask themselves is "Why am I even trying? I'm just going to have to do it over anyway!"
YEE HAH!!! IT'S THE WILD, WILD, WEST!!!
Yessir, ladies and gentlemen, it's the "Gunslinger." As the name might suggest, this manager shoots from the hip, and once you are in his sights, your days are numbered. This manager shoots to kill based only on gut reactions, without regard to the consequences, or to the facts at hand. Interestingly, this manager also ACTIVELY seek out evidence to support his gut reactions, whether or not his opinion is correct.
The problem with this manager is that your employees never now who is next in his sights, so they have absolutely no sense of stability. Therefore, your employees are more apt to be working the rumor mill, rather than their actual work, just so that they can create some sense of stability.
I WANNA BE A REAL LIVE BOY!
The favorite expression for this manager is "He's the Boss!" therefore earning this manager the title of the "Puppet." Typically, this manager is subservient to the "Gunslinger" or the "Bully" but can be subservient to anyone in authority if he is actually wimp enough.
The sad fact for this manager is that he will ATTEMPT to make their opinions and observations known, but will unfailingly back down in the face of righteous confrontation. This creates distrust and uncertainty among your employees because this manager will SPEAK what he thinks, but will DO what the boss wants, whether or not he agrees. Therefore, your employees, again, do not know where they stand and will spend time, and energy, trying to figure that out rather than working.
GOT BAIT???
The "Worm" is the hardest to find, and probably one of the most dangerous. This manager is an expert manipulator and rises up through the ranks not through their own expertise and good works, but rather through the alliances they make. Unfortunately, those alliances are usually made through personal connections, such as being friends with the boss' wife.
This manager will have literally wormed their way into every faction of your organization. And because the alliances ARE personal in nature, the entire management team will have lost their ability to be objective about the "Worm's" talents, abilities, and contributions, leaving you all vulnerable to the "Worm's" manipulations.
Unfortunately for you, your employees are smart. You see, the truly dangerous aspect of this manager is the fact that your employees SEE THAT YOU ARE BEING MANIPULATED!!! So, why on earth would they want to follow a leader who can so easily be lead astray? The answer is simply, they DON'T, and they WON'T follow you. Oh, they will show up and collect their checks, but their energies, ambitions, creativity, and innovations will be spent elsewhere.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH!!!
Welcome to the big tent because this is the domain of the "Ringmaster." This manager is the diva of the corporate world and believes that EVERYTHING centers on him. Because of this, the "Ringmaster" simply can not tolerat.competition in any form, even if i.comes in the form of the success of one of his subordinates. Rather than see a colleague or subordinate successful (ak.competitor) this manager will sabotage that worker's efforts, even if it means sacrificing that employee.
Unfortunately, this creates a sense of drama, distrust, and anger among your employees. They see that there work is sabotaged, or outright stolen, and are instantly demotivated. Instead of trying again to get their inspirations and ideas in the spotlight, your workers will simply shut down and begin operating on auto-pilot.
WHO'S ON FIRST???
This manager could have given Lou Costello a run for his money. The "Clown" has truly been promoted to the maximum level of his incompetence. The sad truth about this manager is that he could not lead a group of people out of a paper bag with two hands and a flashlight!
Your employees need (and will) only ask one question: "WHY?"
Now that you have identified the culprits, you need to determine are these qualities the predominant qualities of your managers? If so, then you have some hard decisions to make about your management team, and some drastic actions to take. Are you ready to do anything about your bad managers?
The simple fact is that most people (84% of people polled in fact) believe that you will do NOTHING! That is why most people do not have faith in the ethical standards of business executives. And though it might be easier for you to avoid the confrontation and the disruption a change in managers will cause, doing nothing will only serve t.compound and validate the majority opinion.
The bottom line is can you afford to loose 73% of your employee's productivity? What do you think your stakeholders would say?
Then what are you going to do about it?
(c) 2006 Amy M. Potavin
For more statistical information, see the Gallup Study at
gmj.gallup.com/content/default.aspx?ci=20770.
