If you've morphed into a boss from hell, you're going to
lose more than a popularity contest. Mean or devious bosses will
"experience low productivity, employees who will not make
decisions, high turnover and the inability to recruit a quality
staff," predicts Toni
Talbot, owner of Human Resource Management Services in
Williamston, Michigan. "Bosses from hell will eventually end
up taking the company to hell because no company can survive that
kind of management style. Not today, not in this economy." If
you had a wretched boss who treated you like a galley slave, relax
(a little): Chances are, you've already sworn never to treat
your own employees that way. But if you worked for a tyrant and
stayed on his or her good side, you may have subconsciously decided
the tyrant's tirades weren't a bad way to go.
As with watching the gazelles on a National Geographic
special, there are signs that can clue you in that the animals are
upset. (By the way, tip No. 1: Never refer to your employees as
"animals.") Few people likely aspire to be the boss from
hell. Sharon Jordan-Evans,
co-author of Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good
People to Stay, suggests three warning signs of unhappy
employees:
1. Avoidance behavior.
"If this person doesn't ever seek you out, chat with you,
share information readily with you, those are clues that the
employee isn't comfortable with you. It doesn't mean
you're a jerk; it might be you're just not very
approachable."
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2. Visible drop in productivity and
morale; increased absenteeism. "If people don't
seem very enthused, it's time to look in the mirror because
very often it has to do with the boss."
3. Heavy turnover. "If
you had a revolving door, wouldn't you get the idea that you
have something to do with that? But I can't tell you how many
bosses don't get it. They say 'Yup, that's just our
industry.' And they don't even check. Or they blame it on
the age group: 'Well, they just change jobs all the time.'
They find other excuses."
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