It can be a dog eat dog world out there. We know Corporate America especially has this facade of being a cut-throat world where you should carry a stapler around with you just to watch your back. Even though the perception might be that everyone is yanking ties and pulling hairs on their race up the corporate ladder, this is not how it always is. Sure there is inherent competition and in some industries and companies, the competition can be thicker than others, but the myth that every employee is merely eyeing up their boss’s job and waiting for the right moment to throw in an elbow is false. In fact, a recent Career Builder study indicated that employees are not REALLY that interested in their boss’s jobs at all. It can be natural to look over your shoulder from time to time to see how you measure up, but many employees are simply focusing on growing themselves, and less about ousting their peers and superiors and becoming King of the Mountain.
Read below to find out more on the results of this interesting study, as well as more tips on being a great manager that employees want to emulate, as outlined by Amy Chulik in the CB blog!
Every October, employees everywhere help their bosses celebrate
National Boss’s Day. Some give flowers or leave a handwritten card on their boss’s desk. Others take their bosses out to lunch at their favorite little bistro or treat them to that pedicure their toes had been screaming for. Still others just wish their boss a heartfelt “Happy Boss’s Day.”
Right about now, bosses everywhere may still be basking in the afterglow of well-wishes or high on endorphins from that chocolate cupcake display designed to spell out “B-O-S-S.” And they may be thinking to themselves, as they wipe cupcake crumbs off their suits, “Yep — they love me. So much that they wish they had my job.” Truth? Probably not.
“I don’t want your job”
Though it may be natural to think your employees would take your job in a heartbeat if they could, it’s not necessarily true.
New research from OfficeTeam signifies that few workers today are fighting over the boss’s job. In fact, more than three-quarters (76 percent) of employees polled in the OfficeTeam survey of 431 office workers said they have zero interest in having their
manager’s position. Could it be out of a mindset that they’re not equipped for the position? Possibly — after all, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of those workers surveyed believe they couldn’t do a better job than their boss. On the flip side, of course, that means that 35 percent believe they
can do a better job than their boss — so what’s really going on here?
These findings remind me of a survey CareerBuilder conducted on
how workers really feel about their bosses. What much of the “I can do my boss’s job better” thinking in that survey came down to was a feeling of disconnectedness and a lack of
communication. Many workers reported being disenchanted with their boss’s leadership style, believing the boss wasn’t adequately focused on career development, feedback or support.
So maybe it’s not so important that workers don’t want their boss’s job, but why they don’t. Workers may never want their boss’s job, and that’s OK — but negative survey results like these should be a caution sign for employers to examine their relationship with their employees. If employees believe career advancement is hopeless — and don’t think their boss cares — they will start looking elsewhere. By opening up the lines of communication and working harder to give employees what they need when it comes to their careers, bosses can begin to repair that frayed relationship and show employees they have value, worth and room to grow.
In regard to why many employees don’t want their boss’s job, Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam, points to the fact that many managers aren’t really fit for a role as a leader. “Many aspects of management involve making difficult, sometimes unpopular decisions, and not everyone is comfortable in this role.” Being a strong individual contributor does not necessarily equate to being an effective leader. The most successful bosses excel at motivating others to achieve great results.”
OfficeTeam identified seven traits potential leaders must have:
1. Integrity. The best managers foster trust among employees by placing ethics first.
2. Sound judgment. Top supervisors can be counted on to make tough decisions based on logic and rationale.
3. Diplomacy. Handling challenging situations with tact and discretion is a must. Effective managers don’t take all the credit for results — they consistently acknowledge individual and team contributions.
4. Adaptability. It’s essential that leaders be able to think on their feet. They should be innovative while also encouraging team members to develop creative solutions.
5. Strong communication. To motivate and guide employees, influential managers freely share their vision with others.
6. Good listening skills. Successful bosses realize they don’t have all the answers and seek input from colleagues.
7. Influence. Great managers build strong networks within the organization to gain support for their ideas.
