Owning a business is a major stress in and of itself. One of the most important factors leading to success is ensuring you have the right people with the right attitudes to do the jobs you need. How you select your leadership team is even more detrimental to your success as they can often single-handedly be responsible for retaining the top talent you worked so hard to secure.
NO ONE in leadership is perfect. Leaders and employees alike are prone to flaws and making mistakes in the workplace. Unfornatualty the cost of having just one toxic manager on your team can be far greater than that single individual's salary.
Did you know that the cost of losing a single employee can be up to 30-50% of their salary? Now imagine you have an entire department with continuous turnover. Imagine how that is affecting your bottom line. Although mistakes happen as we are all human, sometimes these frequent "mistakes" are more patterns of negative behaviour that cause repercussions for the employees that surround them. It's important to spot the difference between mistakes made and toxic leadership.
We have put together a list of 5 signs common signs indicative of a toxic manager. Identifying these signs early can help you address the problems head-on or help you make the difficult decisions your business may need.
1. A Single Department Shows High Levels of Turnover
The first note really comes as no surprise. If you are experiencing repeated or sudden surges in employee turnover in a designated area, this is one of the first tell-tale signs you may have a toxic manager on your hands. It has been stated that more than 2 in 5 employees will leave a job due to a bad boss. These managers often display traits such as unapproachability, failing to listen to others, being hotheaded, and disrespectful toward others. They are often seen as dictatorial leaders vs coaches.
A great way to spot this problem is by conducting exit interviews with all employees resigning. Use the opportunity to collect feedback about the department's leadership and processes. This will enable you as a business leader to effectively coach your managers on their areas of weakness. Remember: managers always need coaching too.
2. They Lack Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
We truly believe that all leadership roles should come with a requirement for EQ training. Toxic managers often exhibit traits of a lack of empathy toward others and are often less sensitive to emotions. They often don't take into consideration the thoughts and feelings of others.
A great way to support the improvement of EQ is by checking in with your employees directly and offering your leaders EQ training and development programs as part of their learning and development.
3. Their Career Is Their Top Priority
Toxic managers often display a lack of concern for others and are solely focused on climbing the corporate ladder. Many toxic leaders 'cant be bothered with providing constructive feedback to others as their main objective often revolves around themselves. Failing to provide employees with feedback is not only neglecting a major responsibility as a leader, but can also create a culture of fear and uncertainty.
A great way to ensure your team members are receiving regular and constructive feedback is by partnering with your HR department to create consistent and measurable performance review programs. This will ensure your team members are receiving the feedback they need and it will hold your managers accountable.
4. They Fail to Show Appreciation for Others
With many employees today working remotely and overtime hours, it's imperative for leaders to recognize the hard work and dedication of their team members. If you can't think of a single instance where one of your managers has ever said "good job" or "thank you" to their team members, you may have a toxic manager on your hands. Toxic managers often simply expect overtime work as part of their employee's jobs.
A great way to identify and negate this issue is by conducting regular employee experience feedback surveys, identifying IF they are receiving adequate appreciation. If not, this creates a great opportunity to support your manager in becoming more comfortable in expressing gratitude in the workplace.
5. They Struggle to Regulate Their Emotions
Employees should never work in fear of 'poking the bear' when it comes to their boss. Leaders who cannot regulate their emotions often see departments with disengaged employees and high turnover rates. As work is such a big part of our lives, it's important for employees to feel safe and respected in their workplace.
A great way to identify this issue is by partnering with your HR department and having them schedule regular 1:1 check-ins with your employees. If your organization is too large, employee feedback surveys may be another great option to gather feedback.
In summary, it's unfortunate to say that toxic managers are more common than you might think. In many cases, employees are promoted into leadership roles based on years of tenure over their people skills. If this is the case in your organization, it's imperative that all leaders partake in some form of leadership training and development as part of their L&D program. Effective training and development will equip your managers with practical tools for everyday life and can effectively prevent existing and first-time managers from becoming toxic.
Do you need to hire a new manager for your team? Connect with us today!
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