6 Ways Bosses Kill Morale Without Realizing It
“Where is he?”
“His boss said she didn’t like the color scheme of the presentation and wants it changed today. She told him this at 4:56. The color scheme…of an accounting report…seriously? This is the kind of thing that makes people quit!”
My friend was explaining why her husband would be late meeting us for dinner.
“His boss has done this many times before. I understand a salaried employee sometimes has to burn the midnight oil to get critical work done, but come on, man! This isn’t that! He’ll be looking for another job soon.”
Psychology today suggests his manager may never look in the mirror when he does leave. She’ll chalk it up to his problem.
Toxic managers choose not to investigate, and in the worst cases, they adopt black and white thinking to demonize outgoing employees as not being worthy or committed to the organization in the first place.
I’ve studied and practiced leadership for 25 years in corporate, military, and volunteer settings. In that time I’ve seen bosses cluelessly destroy morale with their actions then wonder why people quit.
Here are a few of those ways.
