Obviously, some of those bosses are wrong … and that can create major problems for a business. A Gallup Poll says organizations are 50% less productive—and 44% less profitable—when serious boss-employee conflicts exist.
According to the American Management Association, some common employee complaints about management, plus ways managers can silence them, include:
1. “My boss doesn’t respect me.”
• Get to know your employees as people.
• Treat them as adults and respect their privacy.
• Recognize that employees have lives outside work and try to accommodate those needs.
2. “Nobody appreciates my hard work.”
• Provide regular feedback and recognition.
• Mix an equal number of “thank-you’
• Thank and reward employees while they’re in the act of performing well; don’t wait for their next review.
3. “There are different rules for different people.”
• Focus on being fair and consistent with the workload, pay, perks and appreciation.
• Be aware of the legal risks of making work decisions based on race, age, gender, religion or disability status.
4. “My performance reviews are useless.”
• Provide continuous feedback. Nothing in the review should come as a surprise.
• Involve employees in setting goals, and adapt a development mind-set.
• Focus on specific employee behaviors (and cite documented examples). Don’t criticize the person’s character traits.
• Conduct reviews on time.
5. “My boss micromanages my work.”
• Realize that employees are not happy when they can’t make decisions. Delegate when possible.
• Allow employees to have more say in how they do their work.
6. “We have too many meetings.”
• Institute a time limit on meetings.
• Use a meeting facilitator.
7. “I hate coming to work.”
• Ask employees what specifically would improve their outlook. Try to at least meet them halfway.
• Consider how you can enrich jobs (or juggle tasks among employees) to make them more motivated.
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What makes a good boss?
Qualities that U.S. workers consider necessary for being a good boss (in order of importance), according to a Yahoo! survey:
1. Communication/
2. Effective leadership skills
3. Trust in their employees to do their jobs well
4. Flexibility and understanding
5. Intelligence
6. Teamwork skills
7. Even temperament.
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