When I started in the management and leadership world, I was surprised by how management people were treating their employees, many of whom were close to me.  I took that to heart for the next 35 years in the corporate world…now a total of over 40 years including my entrepreneurial life.  Let’s examine some realities of day-to-day life in the business world through the eyes of employees.

According to Harvard Business Review and Knowledge@Wharton, employees do not leave jobs, they leave managers. They leave managers because of relationship issues. Surveys show that 72% of employees are open to getting a new job and 1 in 5 employees quit in the first two years.  That is a 10% annual turnover rate!  An employee looking for a new job with the objective of improving themself is a good thing. However, many times, their desire to move to a new job is directly related to their negative relationship with their manager. 

Four of 10 workers blame their restlessness on poor management style or lack of mentoring. Over a third say that having a good manager is the most important determinate of their on-the-job happiness. And happiness within a business unit equates to success.  Why?  Because they are more willing to follow your direction.

It was also found that managers are the missing link in effective organization and communication.  Some common complaints among employees about managers include lack of interpersonal communication such as simply greeting their employees when they see them. Another one: inability to give clear direction or an unwillingness to give feedback.  That is an amazing comment, given that our first responsibility is to train people for success, which includes timely follow-up.  Another complaint is a lack of emotional control or propriety such as yelling at an employee in front of the entire employee group.  

Who is the common thread through all these comments?  Yes, it is us…those charged with leading employee groups and if you are a business owner, leading the entire business. 

Business only succeeds through people! No one can do it alone.  Are your employees motivated to follow your direction?