People do not quit organizations, they quit their managers

A popular belief is that the primary reason people quit their jobs is because of pay. Not so according to a Gallup poll of more than one million employed. A bad boss or supervisor is the number one reason people leave due to the environment their boss creates and how they feel they’ve been treated. We work the majority of our adult lives. So, it’s important to find an environment where we feel valued and have meaningful work to do. Employees want the opportunity to learn and grow and work for a manager who encourages and supports excellence in all they do. The truth is people want to make a difference. And, in return they want to be treated with dignity and respect, have some influence over their future and feel appreciated for their contributions. People thrive when they are part of a winning organization. They have pride in the products and services being offered, they know they can satisfy customer needs and are confident they can positively impact the success of the organization. If you are thinking that people will stay put due to recent economic times, think again. Having endured layoffs, mandatory overtime, and the pressures of doing more with less, workers are stressed and burnt out. And, multiple sources predict once hiring begins to pick up, your top performers will be entertaining offers to work elsewhere.

The manager is the face and often voice, of the organization from the perspective of the employee. To think otherwise is to grossly underestimate the manager’s role in the organization. Managers can influence how bad news is presented, they set the tone by their behavior in tough times, and they can promote fairness and understanding. Does the manager set a fair atmosphere? Are they honest and transparent? Do they explain their decisions? Is the manager listening to employee feedback? Does the manager flip flop between priorities? Does the manager help set career goals with their employees? Do they meet on those goals at regular intervals? the manager has an enormous amount of influence on these main areas that cause people to quit. Yes, the organization can fail in these areas as well, but the most immediate influence on an employee, the person who is standing right next to them, is their manager. This gives the manager the opportunity to make up for the ills of the organization by demonstrating the traits that the organization is not.