InsideWork, July 11th, 2007
“Rapport with the boss largely predicts risk for depression and other psychiatric problems in the workplace,” says Brad Gilbreath of Indiana University-Purdue University in Fort Wayne. His study, published in the journal Work and Stress and reported in Psychology Today, found that a worker’s relationship with the boss was almost equal to his relationship with his spouse when it comes to the impact on his well-being. A rewarding job or even good relationships with coworkers cannot compensate a negative relationship with the boss.
According to Psychology Today, “Surveys show that up to half of all workers have a shaky, if not downright miserable, relationship with their supervisors.”
A Gallup report is equally blunt about this, “Employees leave their supervisors, not companies.” This is the number one reason people leave a company, more than compensation or work hours.
If you are a boss, let this serve as a wake up call.
My work as a leadership consultant made me aware this was the main reason people left companies. I was initially surprised about the health impact of bad bosses, but upon reflection I fully concurred with the findings.
Business gurus and consultants have been hyping the War for Talent for several years. Companies are desperately trying to identify and recruit talent. But few companies think reflectively and deeply about why they can’t keep talent. I’ve found that many are very dismissive of the people who leave.
- They weren’t the right fit.
- We always knew that they probably wouldn’t work out.
- It’s just the business that we’re in.
- I can’t believe they wanted more money.
In all these excuses, the theme is that the worker was the problem. But the research demonstrates that this is largely not the case.
The Gallup surveys and Brad Gilbreath’s work confirm that the number one reason for employee turnover and, perhaps, the number one reason for lower than expected work productivity is not workers, but bosses. It also appears that poor boss performance may affect the long term health of company employees, and that will become a financial issue.
I’ve observed four types of bad bosses.
The first is the true boss from hell, mean spirited and powerful, who uses his position and authority to intimidate and use people. Yes, there is still such abuse in business today, especially in privately held enterprises.
The second is the functionally incompetent boss. He may be well-intentioned, but his lack of leadership and management skill eventually creates such confusion and turmoil that people are exhausted.
The third is the emotionally incompetent boss. I remember a hallway conversation between a colleague and his boss: As the colleague pleaded and tried to explain about a coworker who was struggling, the boss just stared blankly, chuckled, and then moved on to other business. You could confront this leader with his problem all day long, but in the end he would still be in denial. Daniel Goleman describes this as a lack of emotional intelligence (a key predictor of leadership effectiveness).
The fourth is the positional boss. These bosses are often found in professional service organizations. They are in these positions, not because of proven ability to lead and manage, but because of seniority or standing as partners. Often these bosses are detached, seeking to do the minimum to protect their own compensation formulas. They allow conditions to continue in their companies that are adverse to others as long as they do not suffer personally in the short run. Aside from their own personal interests, decision making is always about the numbers, and not about the people.
And there are combinations of the above.
- Are you described in any of these categories? How do you know?
- How about your boss?
- What do you do if you are working for a bad boss? How is it affecting your health?
- Discuss how I Timothy 2:1-2 [New International Version] might be one of the things that you can do in relationship to a leader.
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
If you are a boss, read Proverbs 27:23-24 [New International Version].
Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.
- Do you really know the condition of your people?
- Do you really give careful attention to your people?
- Your compensation (riches) and your position (crown) are not secure all by themselves. It is the people you lead who ultimately produce the results. Do you recognize that?
- If you were the subject of the survey and were recognized as the source of turnover, employee dissatisfaction, and poor employee health, how would you respond?
