SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 200,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our newsletter.
Have you ever had a manager you absolutely hated?
- Yep! And I work for them right now: 10.75%
- Yes, but they’re in my past: 71.75%
- No, I haven’t had that misfortune: 17.50%
Your team hates you. In all the years I’ve written this poll, this is the first time I’m shocked. 72% of you have a former boss you’ve hated. That number is astonishing. So here’s something to think about: If you have team members, what are the odds they feel the same way about you? After all, if 83% of you hate your current boss or a former one, there’s a pretty high likelihood that a big chunk of your team members hate you. But why?
I’ve found 10 reasons your team hates you and cataloged them a long time ago. Micromanagement, lack of support, lack of prioritization, and failure to make decisions are some of the biggest reasons. If you’re not sure if they hate you or not, maybe get some anonymous and candid 360-degree feedback to hear what’s on their mind. If you don’t know what’s wrong, you can’t fix it. Work hard to be in that small percentage of leaders that people don’t hate. Maybe we can collectively reduce that 72% and make work more enjoyable.
Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS, which includes TITAN — the firm’s e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West oint graduate and author of three leadership books: “One Piece of Paper,” “Lead Inside the Box” and “The Elegant Pitch.”