I recently spoke with a friend who had just resigned from her job. Her manager requested a meeting to discuss her departure. My friend, let’s call her Samantha, shared the concerns and frustrations that led to her decision to leave.
Then her manager asked her a question…
“What could I have done differently?”
The question caught Samantha by surprise. Let’s just say her manager was less than responsive to any of Samantha’s requests and needs during her tenure.
I asked Samantha how she replied to that question. I was curious if she was honest in her response or thought there was no point.
“Oh, I told her,” Samantha shared. “I pointed to past emails and meeting requests and concerns she never responded to.” I asked if she thought it made a difference? She shook her head. “Not really. I don’t think anything will change.”
Do you know how your employees and co-workers really feel about you?
I guarantee you that manger had no idea that’s how her employee felt until it was too late. And she lost an amazing talent because of it.
I spend my days talking with leaders, but also having honest talks with employees. And this story is all too familiar.
A recent Harvard Business Review article touched on this problem: Most Employees Don’t Trust Their Leaders. Here’s What To Do About It.
As it stands, many leaders are on shakier ground than they might think. Last year, Gartner surveyed more than 3,500 employees about trust at their organization and found that less than half (48%) trust their senior leaders.
And here’s the key part the article refers to … many leaders don’t realize they are on the wrong side of the trust equation.
Do you value employee feedback … even if it is negative?
One solution centers around research that shows employees have more trust in leaders who value employee feedback.
That’s great. But are managers willing to hear negative feedback without reacting or getting defensive?
The only reason Samantha answered her manager’s question honestly was because she was headed out the door. She was also moving to another state to work in a different industry so there was no fear of future career repercussions.
Model trustworthy behavior
So let me share a success story.
Joe was the head of a new advertising agency. I’d know Joe for many years in our previous career. This guy was so talented. To no one’s surprise, his agency took off. Within five years they were just crushing it. When Joe said he had an open door policy and his employees could tell him anything, he meant it. After a few of his employees came to him frustrated, Joe called a meeting. He said, “I know that a lot of the times I’m the bottleneck. You all are right. I want to find ways to get out of your way.”
Can you imagine? A leader willing to put his ego aside and, true to his word, look for ways to get out of the way and help his people shine? As of this writing I only know of one person who left Joe’s agency and it was only to retire. (If you are familiar with advertising you are aware of the high turnover rate.)
Joe’s self-awareness and ability to hear things he didn’t like were keys to his success.
How do your employees and co-workers really feel about you? Do you fall in the trusted or not trusted category? The answer might surprise you.
