Manager Troubles?
An older edition of HR Magazine estimates that 80% of the turnover in organizations is caused by poor management. The Gallup folks insist (based on two 2006 polls) that “at least 75% of the reasons for voluntary turnover can be influenced by managers”.[1] This is a staggering figure when you stand back and contemplate it. It’s also an expensive matter, if you believe the DOL’s estimate that the cost of turnover is 1.5 times the annual salary of the person leaving the organization. Using those estimates, replacing a $30,000 employee...
read moreManagers: Fear of Failure
This article originally published in the July 2008 version of HR News is still good reading today! Yes it’s true, this past December Bob turned 63. Interestingly, he still has some of the same fears he had as a teenager. Time has not cured them. Here’s part of his fear list – fear of failure, fear of conflict and fear of rejection. Ladies, you may not be able to associate with this, but the guys reading this newsletter will. As a teenager Bob would rather have been burned at stake than call a girl for a date. He remembers...
read moreA Manager’s Work is Never Done
A manager’s job is possibly the most difficult and demanding job in any organization. Recently we were talking with a manager who described his job as the place in his organization where expectations and actions met and were realized. He explained it was his responsibility to put the owner’s expectations into action and ensure the company’s vision was being realized. His comments made me think about the many other managers and supervisors who have the same responsibility. Without these important men and women, most organizations...
read moreEmployees Don’t Leave Businesses, They Leave Managers
Once I read in an HR Magazine, “Employees don’t leave businesses, they leave managers.” This bold statement caused me to consider what it takes to be a great manager. Here are some of my thoughts: First, managing is a foreign responsibility to most business owners and executives. The majority of business owners/executives we work with at executive advantage didn’t initially intend a career in management, so they hadn’t received formal management training, whether in a college or otherwise. The majority of them trained (whether in...
read more