INSTANT MBA: 3 Things Managers Do That Make Their Employees Want To Quit

Instant MBA

April 29, 2014

The best managers have a few things in common. They're confident; they possess great leadership skills; they're active listeners; and they respect others.

And, as it turns out, there are some common traits among bad bosses, too.

In a recent LinkedIn post, management executive John White laid out seven management traits that make employees want to quit. Here are our three favorites:

They micromanage. "Nobody likes to be micromanaged," White says. So, be a leader; someone that your employees admire and want to work hard for — not a micromanager. "Do this by leading by example with your work ethic, integrity, and by treating people with respect. Do not constantly threaten people with their job. If this is your idea of coaching your team, then you should not be in management," he says.

Using fear as a management tactic will make your employees resent you and your company, and will drive them to jump ship at the first chance they get.

They gripe about employees being lazy, yet they aren't working hard themselves. White writes about a former boss who was so terrible that he drove everyone out, forcing the company to close its regional office. White says he and his colleagues frequently caught that boss watching YouTube videos — "[but he'd] take every chance he could get to tell us all how worthless we all were and that we weren't working hard enough."

They create office politics. White says his former manager pitted his people against one another. He'd tell one person one thing that someone said, and then would tell the other person the same thing. "Office politics kill morale and as the manager you should be doing things to prevent it, not perpetuate it. Don't be vindictive," White says. To keep your employees around, you'll want to create a positive environment where people enjoy working.

Click here to read the full LinkedIn post.

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