How Bosses Demoralize Employees - Your Practice Ain’t Perfect - Joe Mull

In this episode of Your Practice Ain’t Perfect, we’re talking about How Bosses Demoralize Employees.

Every once in a while, I will encounter a leader who says they don’t really care if morale is high, as long as people do their jobs. And that is mind-blowingly ignorant. It’s like saying I don’t care if the car has gas in it, as long you don’t stop driving. When morale is high on a team, employees accomplish more and try harder. Most leaders know this, yet still unwittingly engage in bad habits and antiquated behaviors that damage performance and morale. Stay right there, because in this episode of Your Practice Ain’t Perfect, I’m reviewing How Bosses Demoralize Employees. Here we go …

75% of people who leave a job indicate their boss is part or all of the reason why. That’s 3 out of 4! Sadly, most leaders have no idea what’s driving them away.

As I travel the country keynoting conferences and delivering training retreats to managers like you, I see the same bad habits over and over again among bosses.

Like those leaders who tell their teams “don't think, just do.” When employees get shot down for questioning, improving, or applying critical thinking at any level, they are being treated like robots, which is both damaging and demoralizing. So here’s a tip: Don’t treat people like robots.

Likewise, when a leader micromanages team members, they rob employees of their fundamental need to create, contribute, and succeed. Stop insisting that everything be done to your exact specifications, with multiple check-ins and approvals along the way. Instead, accept that people get to their final product in different ways and that we live in a world where there’s more than one right answer. Freedom breeds engagement in the workplace.

But wait … there’s more: Bosses who ignore employees’ personal lives, play favorites, or restrict advancement strangle the life out of their teams.

Bosses who don’t stand up for their employees or constantly understaff, underfund, and undersupport their teams create suffering across all levels of an organization.

And bosses who have warm-body syndrome, where they believe that anybody can do the job and that it’s easy to swap one person for another at any time? Well, they stifle the growth and performance of teams, and rob the organization of real talent.

Perhaps no other action demoralizes teams more than when toxic employees are allowed to remain. I get calls all the time: “Hey Joe, we think we want to bring you in to do some training with our team. We’re having some problems, conflict, and drama …” Now early on in that conversation, I always ask this question: Is there one person on your team or maybe two who if they left today and never came back, all these problems would go away? Guess how many times the answer is yes?

Every. Single. Time.

When those employees who engage in disruptive behavior are not held accountable, it’s crushing to a team. Employees see unacceptable performance with no consequences and begin asking, “If she can get away with murder, why should I try so hard? Why should I bother or even care?”

Some of you watching this video right now could supercharge the morale of your team by simply removing those entrenched bad actors who poison the well day in and day out. Allowing them to stay will continue choking the life out of your team.

Now it’s your turn. What other ways do bosses demoralize teams? What have you experienced as an employee? What happens too often that does harm and limits success? Share your thoughts in the comments box below and I will look forward to reading and responding. And if you heard something worthwhile in this video, please share it on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.

For now, remember this: The research is clear. People don’t quit their jobs; they quit their bosses. See you next time.

Joe Mull- Speaker, Author, Trainer

[jenniferkoo]

Bosses tend to bully skilled and high-performance workers. This out of insecurity, because they view them as a threat to their position.

[MrGuzmanra]

when bosses fake being nice but you can tell they dislike employees intensely. I hate that...

[night]

Bosses who do not provide feedback then sabotage you later saying you didnt live up to their expectations

[kheira]

So true :" People don't quit their jobs ..they quit their bosses". Thank you for this video.

[danelicker]

I've found out over the years that bosses are biased. They love certain employees and hate certain others. The worst part is it has nothing to do with what kind of employee you are. You can be reliable, dependable, hard working, always on time, never leave early, and get the job done. But if the boss doesn't like you for whatever reason, he will treat you like crap and always look for reasons to chew you out and blame you for anything that goes wrong. On the other hand, if the boss likes you, you can be habitually late, screw off on the job, and make tons of mistakes, and the boss will always make excuses for you.

[angelgjr]

I just got an award for being the best employee. I also got a write up right after because I was “slacking off.” Not joking. Most supervisors are unqualified morons.

[jordanoliver]

That's why i want be self-employed I'm tired of these companies & their bs

[bdavi]

If you came to this video because you feel you and your boss aren’t meshing, then you aren’t alone. Hang in there, it’s not you, it’s the ineffective leadership from your boss and organization. Don’t forget, you’re the asset and another employer would love to have you.

[jmarici]

When the manager bad mouths their staff to other staff members.

[iamthewordsmith]

When bosses tell you, "you can be replaced". Geez I wonder why people leave?

[bronwynhanford]

I quit when my boss started micro managing me. Best decision I made.

[mariakristinahawl]

I left a toxic work environment 2 weeks ago (not caring whether I found new employment to replace this one) due to my boss having committed over 90% of what was shared in this video. I left work on a friday, and returned on Saturday (when business hours are closed) to leave my resignation on her desk. ZERO notice was what she deserved for the abuse and disrespect she afforded me during my tenure. I have not regretted one ounce of that decision!!

[thechristianjamaicancoolie]

Favouritism and not holding certain people accountable for their behaviours

[leonorballester]

Favoritism is another bad habit managers have which also demoralized employees

[kaze]

I left my jobs right in the middle of the most important period where they needed me. I was replaced instantly. Do not be afraid of leaving even though you still have so much to do. You’ll be replaced instantly!

[ashleychemise]

Be careful if you hear "we're like a family here"... I heard that at 2 different companies in the past and they were amongst the worst jobs I worked. Never again.

[Gary-msbl]

*berates people in public* *threatens to fire people* ... wait...why are my employees leaving

[userfriendly]

I am currently working in this environment. Being micromanaged, condescended, treated like the black sheep in the group while the other person is praised and charished, yet that person gossips about every single person in the office and is constantly late for work and leaves early every day.
I hate my job!

[suelovenbury]

65% of managers add 0 or negative net worth to their organisations. On balance it's not worth employing them; a good team runs itself. There was a case at the Trebor factory in England, the owners noticed managers were demoralizing staff, so they sacked them all, saving themselves the managers salaries and production increased by 200%

[forzabowe]

Bosses are their own worst enemy. They destroy productivity and morale and then complain nobody likes them. A boss should be fair, and understanding and a role model for the team